‘She has chosen NSW as her life partner. We are all the better for her loyalty’

One love: Gladys Berejiklian gets passionate during Question Time in NSW parliament. Photo: Pool/Dominic Lorrimer

As ICAC heard how Gladys Berejiklian’s former boyfriend ran a “cash for visas” business out of his parliamentary office while boasting access to the highest levels of government, and the rest of us were still scraping our jaws of the floor about Miss Goody Two-Shoes and her bad-boy beau, the lady was not for quitting. More power to her, said Matt G:

“Gladys has, for her own reasons, never married and has no children. She has chosen the State of NSW as her life partner and we are all the better for her loyalty. Put simply she has made a poor choice in her continued association with Daryl the bag man after he left parliament in 2018.

“The relevant question is not guilt by association. We need to ask ourselves whether she has broken the code of conduct applying to those in public office. The answer is no. I hope she has the strength to remain premier and the humility to realise her party and the rational public will forgive her.”

Gail grumbled:

“I wonder: Is this ‘story’ shaping up to become one of those where media opinion triumphs over good investigative journalism and the facts remain lengthily concealed behind a ‘he-sez-she-sez-they-say’ cloud and, with readers and viewers being pawns, justice faces yet another longer than necessary haul?”

Jack said:

“Surely if any premier should resign, Dan Andrews should be the first to put his hand up followed by Anastasia in QLD for their appalling Covid responses to the economic fallout.”

John added:

“I remember Bob Hawke and his personal life was never that flash But he was a great prime minister, so let’s wait and see. I think Gladys will surprise us all and she is a great premier.”

Ian opined:

“Guilt by association is not a criminal offence otherwise few public figures or journalists would be left standing. There appears to be no legal breaches and apart from an act of personal stupidity which we have all committed. She is the best premier in Australia by a country mile.”

Jellylorum pounced:

“If Gladys was male, she wou

ld not be put through any of this appalling grilling. She would have the few, short questions asked if her, then been left alone and regarded as separate from her ex-partner and his problems. It’s nothing to do with her at all. She has easily demonstrated she made no financial benefit (nor sought any) and that she had no interest in his private business dealings.

“Her text comments show she can barely sustain a passable level of interest on them. She is an exemplary premier with her own financial wealth and way too busy working hard in her job to be distracted by something illegal and immoral. NSW deserves and needs her has premier. She should be compensated for the excessive interrogation and stress it’s caused. Good, upstanding people are always given a hard time oir being so, especially if they are female. Stand tall Gladys, Australia stands with you.”

Peter protested:

“I have been a supporter of Berejiklian but that is a ridiculous comment. NSW has lost many good premiers who have resigned for less grievous errors of judgment. Greiner and O’Farrell to name just two.”

Mich agreed:

“How far can chivalry go? A great male premier went for the misjudgment of accepting a bottle of wine!”

Likethumb_up7

RA was glad:

“If people believe the premier when she says she had an relationship — it was not an ‘affair’ — with Maguire, then why can’t people believe the premier when she insists she was not aware of his illegal business dealings? The premier has carried a huge workload these past years. She is entitled to a private life.”

Michael mansplained:

“I’m not sure there is anything wrong in her saying ‘I don’t need to hear that’. It does not mean that she did not want to hear about something that might be corrupt. It sounds as simple to me as a reflection on the fact that politicians cannot be involved with property developers deals. As long as she does not know she cannot make decisions to help the deal. She is stepping back from even wanting to know what he is doing, because it is in that special industry, property deals. She talks to him like he is a bit of a silly boy, she is distanced and talks to him like a teacher. He is the one instigating. She is like ‘yes, yes, well done, you can do it … but I now need to get on with my work’. If Gladys knew about the cash for visa scam and continued to talk to him, I’m a monkeys uncle.”

Maryanne wondered:

“Why is it that politics attracts such corrupt scoundrels, villains and scumbags? In posing this question, it is not suggested that Gladys is at fault apart from by association with one of the aforementioned personality types. She has always come across as a thoroughly decent hard-working and honourable woman.

“Her leadership during the pandemic has been exemplary and she has been the standout premier of the nation.”

Stephen said:

“All you have is a photo of a ribbon cutting ceremony and a lot of tawdry innuendo. Nothing that goes to Berejiklian’s own conduct as premier. She received no financial benefit, and helped no one obtain one.”

Judith pleaded:

“Leave this woman alone. Who among you has not been duped by someone you loved and respected. So far she has the support of her colleagues as she should as she is by far the best premier in Australia. Accusations and innuendo do not not amount to guilt.”

Laurie was clear:

“Whatever your view of Gladys, she has become an unwlelome distraction at a time of great difficulty for NSW and needs to step down.”

Nils McNary said:

“Memo from Victoria: Gladyses don’t grow on trees. If you manage to find one, hang on to her. Just take a look at the other states to remind yourselves just how truly awful a Gladys alternative could turn out to be. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”

Rod came in from the cold:

“The compromise in the visa scam of a Parliamentary Secretary is classic Cold War communist intelligence agency tactics. The ‘Fix’ is in as he is now compromised on illegal immigration and foreign influence issues (amongst other weak morale behaviour). From there it is all gravy manipulating someone like him. The CCP penetration of our govt agencies is revealed more horrifically every day. Wake up Australia! I wonder what the men in I’ll fitting suits from Russell Hill will do when they get their mits on him. Let’s hope it isn’t as polite as ICAC.”

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Suffer the little children: Saint Jacinda models her Jesus Christ pose. Picture: Getty Images

Greg Sheridan almost caused a diplomatic incident with his brutal assessment of Jacinda Ardern’s first term: “No international halo is so shabby, or so fraudulent, as that worn by New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Politically she resembles Dan Andrews. They excel in woke gesture and progressive symbolism. Their achieve­ments in real policy terms are thin or negative.” Spot on, said Fat John:

“Greg’s last paragraph sums up this government. Basically everything Ardern has touched has turned to mud. Her ministry was so incompetent that towards the end of the last parliament there were only three ministers that she allowed to front the media.

“There were so many misadventures and border leakages during the Covid lockdowns that it can only be extreme luck that the disease was effectively eliminated from the country. The Chairman must feel quite hard done by! Ardern is one of those who are never wrong. At press conferences she repeatedly expressed anger that her officials had let her down. She, being one never to accept responsibility.

“Ardern’s only highlight was ridding the country of military style weapons from the hands of civilians which most (even the hunting fraternity largely) supported. But then again, Ardern is an avid gun hater which is one of the reasons the ACT party is enjoying such a rebound in the polls.”

Anon averred:

“Yep, once again Kiwis will take flight as economic refugees to Australia. Since welfare isn’t easy to get in Oz, it will be the educated and skilled. I was one of the 1000s per month leaving NZ in 2005. Many never return to NZ, often marrying and raising Australian born children.

“Thanks to the Key/English govt by 2013 the economy was put back on its feet, called the miracle economy of the Pacific that other countries went to study. Industry and jobs grew and numbers leaving dwindled to a trickle. Record low unemployment and all the other nasties, like crime, that accompanies it.

“It’s important to remember that Kiwis didn’t vote JA in, they voted for English as PM. But Peters on 7pc was able to cobble together a govt in return for a plumb position for himself … and well, here we go again. But worse than 2005. I’m voting in this election. Depending on the outcome, I’ll be making financial decisions. Greens in power, I leave all assets/finance in Australia.”

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Last drinks: In a West End town it’s a dead end world for ‘bogan’s brew’.

South Australia’s beloved West End Brewery has been officially killed by an unpleasant combination of hipsters and health advocates as the consumption of traditional lager falls prey to craft beer, clean living and wine bars. Dystopia de Sina said:

“Moved to SA from the NT in 1987, to find that the local mainline brews pumped out by West End and Southwark were the only stuff I’d tasted that was worse than NT Draught. West End, being the lesser of the two evils, became beer of choice for a couple of years before I escaped to QLD and the misery of XXXX (because they can’t spell beer).”

Paul got misty-eyed:

“Oh, for the days when everyone’s dad drove a ford or a holden, and drank West End or Southwark. I long ago switched to Coopers, but it’s a sad day to lose the brewery, and never see my team’s colours on the chimney again.”

Lee dreamed:

“I’m waiting for the salted caramel flavored beer. It seems like nothing is safe from salted caramel — with Himalayan rock salt of course.”

Peter recalled:

“There was one worse. Mac’s beer from Rockhampton. Absolutely undrinkable unless you were weaned on it straight from mother’s milk.”

Dude abided:

“Not enough bogans, that’s the problem.”

Trevor B applauded:

“Astutely noticed, Dude. The ending of the industrial revolution from the 80s saw the decline of the working class, and with it, the decline a of a whole and identifiable culture. In SA, footy went national, young blokes went to “uni” instead of trade school, and manual labour jobs went to Asia. My dad and uncle were the last of the died-in-the-wool Labor voters, as Labor itself died in a ditch.”

Marc remembered:

“Started drinking beer in Adelaide in the mid 80s. My grandfather’s generation only drank Southwark bitter. I got caught with a six pack of Pale Ale once and received the response ‘only deros and uni students drink Coopers’. Hated West End and Southwark.”

Last word to Nicholas:

“ ‘It’s the taste of Adelaide’ That my friends is a comment more about saying I live somewhere and it is my home. As opposed to the ‘anywhere people’ who run our large corporates and media. It’s more than the way it tastes.”

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