Why did ICAC make its decision to investigate Berejiklian a week before reopening

While Gladys Berejiklian needs to be held accountable, questions need to be asked about the timing of the decision to investigate her.

It’s the question that people of NSW will ask today and political historians will be asking decades from now: Was the middle of a generational global health crisis the time to be worrying about grants to an obscure shooting body and a regional music conservatorium?

Have we just thrown out one of our best premiers over something that doesn’t appear to be an emergency?

As an elected official Gladys Berejiklian is subject to scrutiny like all her peers.

But when you think about some of the extraordinary powers governments have given themselves during this pandemic, some of the outrageous restrictions and lockdowns that have devastated Australian families, you have to wonder whether this was a matter the ICAC could have held over for a less fraught time.

Gladys Berejiklian walks away after completing her final media conference as NSW Premier. Picture: Bianca De Marchi - Getty Images

Like, say, not a week out from reopening the state?

It’s called perspective, people.

At a time when Australia has some dreadful, self-obsessed state leaders, Berejiklian was arguably one of the better political performers going around.

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She had NSW on track to reopen safely to the world ahead of the rest of the nation because, unlike other parochial hillbilly states, her team got the vax rates up to where they need to be.

If she made a mistake to do with a couple of grants, well, as we well know, the ICAC will deal with it.

These issues were not going to be buried forever and the premier of NSW must be held accountable in matters of public trust.

But this wasn’t the time to effectively sign her political execution papers. Not when the virus is still going strong and the state needs continuity of strong and effective leadership.

Causing this sort of political earthquake a week or so out from reopening looks plain stupid.

Berejiklian now joins Liberal predecessors Barry O’Farrell and Nick Greiner in resigning over matters related to ICAC investigations.

Early polling indicates many voters do not want her to resign at this time.

It just doesn’t pass the commonsense test.

Originally published as Why did ICAC make its decision to investigate Berejiklian a week before reopening