NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reveals relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told her boyfriend and Libs MP “I don’t need to know about that bit” when the pair discussed a business deal.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told her boyfriend and Liberal MP Daryl Maguire “I don’t need to know about that bit” when the pair discussed a business deal during a private phone call.

During the phone calls, that were secretly intercepted by the corruption watchdog in September 2017, Ms Berejiklian interrupted him while he spoke about a financial deal he was involved in.

“I don’t need to know about that bit,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian was repeatedly asked today if she was telling him to keep her in the dark because she didn’t want to know what he was doing because it might have consequences for her public duties.

In evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Ms Berejiklian tried to downplay the exchange insisting she may have been “bored” and wasn’t telling him to limit the information he told her.

“I deny the proposition that I turned a blind eye,” she said. “Perhaps I was bored and busy and wanted to move on.”

The day before the pair had discussed Mr Maguire’s financial difficulties and his hopes that the deal would help him pay off his debts.

Ms Berejiklian earlier said she was “shocked and disturbed” by the evidence to ICAC about the activities of her former boyfriend.

In bombshell evidence, Ms Berejiklian revealed she was in a close personal relationship with former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire but insisted it was “never, ever” a conflict of interest.

Ms Berejiklian is the star witness today at hearings investigating Mr Maguire’s conduct after the inquiry heard evidence he sought payments to help broker deals with property developers.

She was asked about how she felt about the allegations against Mr Maguire at ICAC.

“I can’t tell you what I felt. Beyond shocked. Shocked, disgusted, let down. All of the above,” she said.

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Former Wagga Wagga Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Last week, ICAC heard evidence that Mr Maguire gave Ms Berejiklian’s email as contact to help a landowner lobby for rezoning changes.

It was claimed he suggested that the Premier would be able to provide “a tickle from up top.”

“Did you give any of those emails a tickle from the top,” Ms Berejiklian was asked.

“Absolutely not,” she replied.

The NSW Premier has told the inquiry that she “did not care” about Mr Maguire’s financial position and had “never relied on anybody else in my life”.

“If you’re suggesting that I cared about his financial position, I reject that completely. I did not care. That was his business, it had nothing to with me,’’ she said.

“I’ve never relied on anybody else in my life. And I wouldn’t start then.”

Ms Berejiklian was then asked, “You didn’t care about it?”

“No. I will not accept that I cared about his financial status. That was for him to worry about, and I didn’t worry about it,’’ she said.

However, she conceded that Mr Maguire was “obsessed” with his financial position and that they discussed it in relation to his exit from politics.

“Absolutely, he was obsessed with it. Yeah,’’ she said.

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Looking back, Ms Berejiklian said she did not believe Mr Maguire had been entirely truthful with her over his financial position.

“Looking back, I’m not sure whether he was truthful about that, if I can be frank. I don’t know if anything that… said to me was truthful,’’ she said.

“He raised it with me … I can’t confirm that what he told me was truthful. But I did not care about his financial position. That was his business.”

Ms Berejiklian is not accused of any misconduct in the inquiry but is being probed about Mr Maguire’s activities.

The NSW Premier described Mr Maguire as a close colleague for two decades and a man she “trusted”.

“That developed into a close personal relationship,” she said.

Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire.

The two pictured together in Wagga in 2017.

The inquiry was told she was in a relationship with Mr Maguire for nearly five years from the time of the 2015 election until a few months ago.

“When I was asked to support this inquiry it became apparent to me that I should have absolutely no contact anymore and I ceased all contact,’’ she said.

Text messages referred to by the inquiry reveal that Mr Maguire called Ms Berejiklian “Hawkiss”, an Armenian term of affection.

“Hawkiss good news. One of my contacts sold a motel for 5.8 million. I had put her in contact so I should make 5k,” Mr Maguire said.

“Congrats!!! Great news!!! Woohoo” she responded.

Maguire will front the ICAC later this week.