Prime Minister Scott Morrison lashes ICAC after Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hit out at NSW’s peak anti-corruption body after it claimed Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s scalp last week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has slammed NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog, claiming the body behind Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s downfall was a “real problem”.

Appearing on Sunrise this morning, the PM insisted the government was not interested in rolling out a similar model to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) at the federal level.

ICAC is an independent agency of the NSW State Government, and is responsible for investigating and cracking down on corruption within its ranks.

On Friday, ICAC claimed the Premier’s scalp, after she announced her shock resignation following the news ICAC was now investigating her.

Ms Berejiklian’s departure comes after she last year revealed she had a “close personal relationship” with former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

ICAC is currently investigating allegations of misuse of Mr Maguire’s public office, and is also now investigating whether the former Premier breached public trust by “exercising public functions in circumstances where she was in a position of conflict between her public duties and her private interest”.

The PM has ruled out a federal version of ICAC. Picture: Sunrise

But speaking to Sunrise co-host David Koch on Tuesday morning, Mr Morrison argued NSW’s anti-corruption watchdog already wields too much power.

“It is certainly not a model we ever consider at a federal level, anything that has been on display for some time,” he said.

“You have got to have processes that assume people are innocent before they are thought to be guilty.

“That is a real problem. It is not a model we have ever contemplated going at a federal level.”

"It's certainly not a model we'd ever consider at a federal level"

Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP on claims NSW's anti-corruption watchdog wields too much power. pic.twitter.com/c9QT4o0mIh

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) October 4, 2021

Mr Morrison claimed checks and balances that prevented corruption were already in place federally.

“We have a set of arrangements at a federal level that can be built upon, but (are) certainly not going down that path, and I’m sure there are millions of people who can see what has happened to Gladys Berejiklian and understand that a pretty good call not to follow that model,” he said.

In her emotional resignation speech on Friday, Ms Berejiklian insisted she had done nothing wrong.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian stunned NSW by resigning on Friday. Picture: Jeremy Piper/NCA NewsWire

“I have always acted with the highest level of integrity … for the benefit of the people of NSW,” she said.

“Standing aside is not an option for me as the Premier of NSW.

“My resignation as Premier could not occur at a worse time, but the timing is completely outside of my control.

“Resigning at this time is against every instinct in my being … but … to continue as Premier would disrupt the State Government during a time when our entire attention should be focused on the challenges confronting NSW.”

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is shaping up to be Ms Berejiklian’s successor, with an announcement over who will take the state’s top job due to be made within hours.