Premier’s fate rests on lover’s evidence at ICAC

Gladys Berejiklian denies breaching professional conduct rules, but Liberal powerbrokers will decide her future after Daryl Maguire gives evidence at ICAC today.

Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire at the Board of Riverina Eastern Organisation of Councils event in Wagga Wagga on October 31, 2017. Picture: Facebook

Gladys Berejiklian has reassured nervous colleagues she did not breach professional conduct rules during her secret relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire. But powerbrokers will await Maguire’s evidence on Wednesday at a ­corruption hearing before deciding the NSW Premier’s ­future.

While senior MPs remain publicly supportive of the Premier, trusted party colleagues have voiced disappointment in revelations of her five-year relationship with Mr Maguire, the former state MP for Wagga Wagga, and evidence that revealed she had some insight into his financial dealings.

Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday reiterated her claim that she was unaware of wrongdoing on Mr Maguire’s part during their relationship, even as phone calls and text messages tendered at an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing revealed they discussed commissions he would receive from favourable schemes.

Mr Maguire has been summoned to appear for three days of hearings this week, beginning on Wednesday, and it is expected his relationship to the Premier and their discussions will form a ­significant part of the line of ­questioning.

Scott Morrison said he remained supportive of Ms Berejiklian, who had shown a “lot of courage” in revealing the intimate details of her private life to corruption investigators.

“We are all human, and particularly in those areas of our lives, and Gladys is an extremely private person and a person of ­momentous integrity, a great friend,” the Prime Minister said.

Ms Berejiklian has conceded to personal errors of judgment over the saga, namely that she trusted Mr Maguire and assumed he was declaring his financial arrangements, but pro­fessionally she is adamant her behaviour was at all times above board.

Gladys Berejiklian outside Parliament House in Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Joel Carrett

“I remain firm in my absolute resolve,” she said on Tuesday, responding to questions about why she did not report the content of their conversations, which included multiple references to commissions and deals that in one case relied on government arrangements. “If I was aware of any wrongdoing, I would have reported it. I was absolutely unaware,” she said at various times throughout the day.

Mark Speakman. Picture: AAP

The evidence adduced at the ICAC inquiry has complicated this explanation, and the impending three-days of hearings to come are being hotly anticipated by some MPs dissatisfied with Ms Berejiklian’s tenure as leader.

Senior party figures and backbenchers told The Australian on Tuesday that a leadership spill remained unlikely, although this was contingent on revelations that might emerge at the ICAC.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Premier addressed a joint-partyroom meeting of MPs during which she apologised for any “hurt or embarrassment” her actions had caused to the government.

During a heated question time in which jeers and shouts of “delusional” were directed repeatedly at her, Ms Berejiklian again deflected charges she neglected to report Mr Maguire’s suspected dealings.

Asked whether he believed the Premier would remain in her role by the end of the week, Attorney-General Mark Speakman, an outside contender for the leadership, said “I believe so”.

“She is, I think … one of the strongest, government leaders in the world,” he told the ABC..

Asked whether he would nominate for the job in the event Ms Berejiklian stood down, Mr Speakman said he would not “jump at shadows”.

From evidence made public on Monday, the Premier had some knowledge of Mr Maguire’s fin­ancial dealings and commission work, which she described as “big talking” and “pie in the sky”.

In a series of text messages sent in 2014, while Ms Berejiklian was transport minister, she congratulated Mr Maguire over the successful sale of a motel and queried the amount of commission he would stand to receive.

In a separate phone call played to the hearing, dated October 18, 2017, Mr Maguire complained about a “big problem” he was experiencing with the sale of a development site, owned by the Waterhouse family, near Western Sydney Airport.

He said he’d sought assistance from the office of the Roads Minister and “one bloke from your place”, referring to the Premier’s office. A sale of the property stood to yield him a commission of more than half a million dollars.

“I don’t need to know about that bit,” Ms Berejiklian responded, a remark seized upon by counsel assisting the ICAC inquiry and prompted extensive querying as to her motivation for the remark.

Ms Berejiklian insisted to her comment was indicative of her lack of interest in the subject. She was discharged on Monday after five hours in the witness box but gave an undertaking she would reappear should a need arise.

The Australian understands some dissatisfaction exists among the party’s moderate-leaning MPs and a bloc within the party’s right. One senior supporter of the Premier said Mr Maguire’s evidence would be crucial. Asked how much her future depended on it , the MP said: ­“Significantly.”

Another long-serving MP said “People are holding their noses and trying to focus on what happens next. We can’t hobble towards the election with this hanging over the government.”