‘Wonderful person’: Peter Dutton launches defence of Gladys Berejiklian despite scathing ICAC findings

Peter Dutton has defended embattled former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian as a “wonderful person” just a day after scathing ICAC findings were delivered.

Federal Liberal leader Peter Dutton has backed in and defended Gladys Berejiklian, a day after the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption found her to have engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”.

Mr Dutton said the former NSW Premier is “absolutely a wonderful person”, but had chosen a “bum” in former partner and disgraced ex-Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.

On Thursday, long-awaited ICAC findings into the actions of Mr Maguire and subsequently Ms Berejiklian were handed down, concluding that the former premier had breached public trust between 2016 to 2017 by failing to disclose her five-year relationship with Mr Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian’s conduct was not found to be criminal, but ICAC recommended Mr Maguire should be referred to the Director of Public Prosecution.

Former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was found by ICAC to have engaged in ‘serious corrupt conduct’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The watchdog found that the prolonged, secret relationship could have had the “potential to influence the performance of her public duty”, and that Ms Berejiklian failed her ministerial duties by not disclosing the relationship.

ICAC also found Ms Berejiklian breached her duties under section 11 of the ICAC Act by not notifying the corruption watchdog of her “suspicion” that Mr Maguire had engaged in corrupt conduct, or behaviour that might have been considered corrupt.”

Mr Dutton emphatically rebuked the notion Ms Berejiklian was corrupt on Friday morning.

“I think she has paid a big price (for her relationship) … And her integrity is not in question,” he told Channel 9.

“She’s not a corrupt person. That’s not the person I know.

“And I think she should hold her head high. She had a bad relationship, as everybody does, and I hope that’s not the defining moment for her, because she’s a much better person and we all know that.”

Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton has backed in Ms Berejiklian. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

NSW shadow health minister Matt Kean has also backed in his former colleague – saying that although he acknowledged Ms Berejiklian had breached the ministerial code of conduct – and had therefore engaged in corrupt conduct – he knew her as a “person of honesty integrity”.

He also said there were question marks around why it took ICAC two years to hand down its findings.

“Why did it take ICAC two years to hand down a finding of something we knew two years ago, and name her seriously corrupt – yet not corrupt enough to refer off to the DPP to face criminal charges?” he told ABC News.

“It shouldn’t take two years for the ICAC to hand down that report … They didn’t need to create all the media circus, which they did – they issued the release date via press release as if it was a Taylor Swift concert.

“Integrity probes aren’t a soap opera, and justice isn’t a show.”

Ms Berejiklian on Thursday evening issued a statement, saying that the report was “currently being examined by my legal team”.

“Serving the people of NSW was an honour and privilege. At all times I have worked by hardest in the public interest,” she said.

“Nothing in this report demonstrates otherwise.

“Thank you to members of the public for their incredible support. This will sustain me always.”