Premier’s call to end daily Covid press conferences comes as ICAC investigation heats up

Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to end daily Covid press conferences stunned NSW. Now, some are questioning the reasons behind the move.

Questions are being asked about possible reasons behind the NSW Premier’s decision to scrap daily 11am press conferences on the state’s Covid outbreak.

As cases continue to soar across the state, Gladys Berejiklian confirmed yesterday she was terminating the daily question and answer sessions which had pulled in huge audiences during the latest outbreak.

It will be replaced by videos of Department of Health officials running through the daily figures, and the opportunity to answer questions does not appear to be on the cards.

Ms Berejiklian took reporters by surprise when she announced Friday that Sunday would be the last day the government would officially do a press conference “in this way”, with NSW Health instead to provide the update at 11am via an online video.

She was also absent during today’s second-last presser, leaving NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard to step in.

It appears the official reasoning from the NSW Government is that the move is a step towards Covid-normal and away from a fixation on daily case numbers — and that it would free the Premier up for other duties.

“What we need to do is all of us have to start accepting that we need to live with Covid because Covid (will) be around for three or four years and it is not tactical to do everything,’’ the Premier said, implying ongoing pressers would be a waste of resources if the virus lingers for years to come.

Ms Berejiklian was then asked if she should at least keep holding press conferences until the peak had passed – but the NSW Premier said we “will never know exactly when that is”.

“I can assure the people of this state and they can judge me on my record, whenever I need to speak directly to the public, I absolutely will, but we also have to make sure that as a government, we normalise the way we do things every day,” she said.

“If there is anything which the public needs to hear directly from government, whether it is myself, the Minister for Health, the Deputy Premier, of course, we will do that.”

The NSW Premier then told journalists: “I will turn up when I need to.”

Gladys Berejiklian with former MP Daryl Maguire.

However, the fact the announcement was made so abruptly without warning to the public or reportedly even to many of the Premier’s colleagues has fuelled speculation the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation into her former secret partner, ex-Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, may have potentially been a factor.

It comes as the ICAC recommences its examinations this month into Mr Maguire, with hearings expected to focus on a $5.5 million funding grant he obtained for his electorate with the assistance of Ms Berejiklian.

Ms Berejiklian has denied any wrongdoing, but she has repeatedly shut down questions from journalists about the investigations during her daily Covid briefings.

Most recently, journalists have been asking whether she was now a target or a “person of interest” in the inquiry.

It is a claim her government has denied, and when she was asked directly on Tuesday she said she was not a person of interest.

She said it was not her place to comment on the matter, insisting reporters “let the agency do its work”.

“As I said, as I always say, that’s a matter for the agency to do its important work and it would be inappropriate for anybody to comment publicly on that work,” she said.

“I have said – this is a consistent response – it is not appropriate for anyone to comment on activity which the integrity agency is undertaking, let them do their work.

“I have nothing to add further.”

However, The Daily Telegraph has questioned whether the investigation may have been a factor in the decision to scrap the pressers.

A number of senior government figures also told the publication the decision was made abruptly at the last moment, catching them off guard, with one suggestion Ms Berejiklian may also have not wanted to become the “face of Covid” via the briefings.

Ms Berejiklian has called off her daily Covid briefings. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dylan Coker

But speaking on Saturday morning, Health Minister Brad Hazzard defended the move, claiming the daily press conferences forced critical health staff to spend hours to prepare for questions ahead of the daily update.

“You think it is just for one hour or whatever it is that you walk in here but in fact there is the preparation for the morning,” he said on Saturday.

The Health Minister said at least 70 hours a week is devoted to press conference preparation, which “is taken out from the time we need to do the things you want us to do”.

News.com.au has contacted Ms Berejiklian’s office for comment regarding the ICAC proceedings and the decision to scrap the press conferences.