Gladys Berejiklian ICAC bombshell: ‘It’s hard to see how she’ll survive’
Minor party MPs have questioned Gladys Berejiklian’s future as Premier after she admitted to a “close personal relationship” with Liberal MP Daryl Maguire. Should the Premier quit? VOTE IN OUR POLL
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Minor party MPs have questioned Gladys Berejiklian’s future as Premier after she admitted to a “close personal relationship” with Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.
NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge tweeted:“It is hard to see how the premier can survive a day in parliament this week given the bombshells being dropped in ICAC about her relationship with liberal MP Daryl Maguire”.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers leader, and member of the NSW Legislative Council, Robert Borsak said:“I think she definitely should stand aside until ICAC has a proper opportunity to go through all the detail of her evidence today”.
“It is a real problem for her, I’m flabbergasted from what I have heard this morning it certainly was not going around the halls of Macquarie St, that’s for sure. I think she needs to take time out and she should stand herself down until we see the final wash-up of this all,” he told 2GB.
“What I have a problem with is her ability to separate her personal feelings towards Daryl Maguire and the political duty in retaining the trust of people of NSW.”
During the hearing on Monday morning, Ms Berejiklian said she had been forceful in calling for Maguire’s resignation from parliament in mid-2018 after a separate ICAC inquiry heard he allegedly sought commissions from Sydney property deals.
Ms Berejiklian said the relationship did not detract from her role and “public office is my priority”.
She added, she had maintained contact with him as she feared for his welfare.
Despite this, Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell said there is a good chance she will have to resign over the revelations.
“I can’t believe it. I covered the Wagga by-election, at that time she condemned his behaviour, it seems she continued to see him and we didn’t even know she was seeing him for some time after this even though he was resigning over corruption allegations,” he said.
“I regard Gladys Berejiklian as a clean politician but the Judgement here is unbelievable. The guy has resigned over corruption allegations she stayed in contact with him and it seems stayed in a relationship with him I’m just completely flabbergasted.
2GB shock jock Ray Hadley chimed in during his program on Monday morning, telling listeners he did not think the premier would survive the scandal.
“Given that she’s now admitted had he retired from politics in 2017 she would have made public the relationship,” he said.
“I don’t know where it leads but I just cannot see her being Premier into the future.”