No support for ‘pain in the arse’ Daryl Maguire, says John Barilaro

John Barilaro says he wouldn’t have supported a grant sought by Daryl Maguire, and advanced by Gladys Berejiklian, if he’d known they were in a relationship.

John Barilaro told the ICAC he and other ministerial colleagues would have done ‘everything differently’ had the relationship between Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire been openly declared. Picture: Adam Yip

Former NSW deputy premier John Barilaro has told a corruption inquiry he would not have supported a multi-million-dollar funding grant sought by former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire, and advanced by Gladys Berejiklian, if he had known they were in a relationship during a crucial round of deliberations.

Mr Barilaro told the Independent Commission Against Corruption he and other ministerial colleagues would have done “everything differently” had the relationship been openly declared, and that, had this been done, it was likely the item would not have received the funding or even been listed for discussion.

In a hearing that also touched briefly on Mr Barilaro’s personal life, the former deputy premier was asked under cross examination by Ms Berejiklian’s lawyer whether he had declared all of his intimate and personal relationships with the premier to avoid a potential conflict of interest during his time in office.

“I would have,” Mr Barilaro replied. “That’s a hard question because my relations are with my family.”

Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: Toby Zerna

Mr Barilaro remarked that Mr Maguire had earned a reputation within government as a “pain in the arse” and a “dog with a bone” due to his vociferous pursuit of funding for projects, describing him as a “very strong local member and someone that really didn’t let go”.

The most damning evidence of the hearing was Mr Barilaro’s assertion that Ms Berejiklian was mistaken not to have declared her relationship with Mr Maguire, and that doing so would have minimised any potential conflict of interest arising out of a decision to award funding to his seat of Wagga Wagga. “If the treasurer (Ms Berejiklian) had declared (a) conflict she would not have been part of the conversation or debate (to award funding) and that would have protected many of us in relation to the decision making,” Mr Barilaro told the commission.

“I think most of us would have done everything differently. The way the item was debated, who was in attendance (during deliberations) … another approach (would have been sought) to what has been perceived as a conflict of interest.”

Outside the commission, Mr Barilaro made it clear he did not accuse Ms Berejiklian of acting corruptly, only that the matter could be regarded as a perceived conflict of interest. He agreed under cross-examination that Mr Maguire did not derive any private benefit from the decisions.

In September Mr Barilaro told a private hearing of ICAC that he was amazed to learn of the relationship. Asked by ICAC counsel assisting Scott Robertson whether it was not “at least some kind of rumour” or “unspoken knowledge” in the halls of parliament, Mr Barilaro responded: “Mr Robertson, I can assure you, no one guessed it. It was a shock to everybody.”

Daryl Maguire.

The former deputy premier announced his resignation from politics in the days after the ICAC announced that it had expanded its investigation into Mr Maguire to include Ms Berejiklian as an investigative target.

Mr Barilaro, in giving his evidence, is the second Coalition MP to concede that the undeclared relationship may have created a perceived or potential conflict of interest for the government, which is one of several lines of inquiry being pursued by the ICAC.

The commission is examining whether the former premier breached the public trust in relation to the funding of two grants for Mr Maguire’s electorate.

One grant, for $5.5m, was provided to the Australian Clay Target Association for an upgrade to its clubhouse; a second for $20m was awarded to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music to relocate its facilities and build a recital hall.

Mr Barilaro said, with hindsight, the ACTA funding proposal would have been subjected to a more rigorous and competitive process if the relationship had been declared by Ms Berejiklian.

The proposal was listed for consideration at a meeting of cabinet’s expenditure review committee on December 14, 2016, which was chaired by Ms Berejiklian as treasurer.

Mr Barilaro said the ACTA funding would not have been listed as an agenda item if the relationship had been known, and instead it would have progressed through an alternative, and slower pathway to seek its funding.

He said he believed Ms Berejiklian not only sought to have the item listed for deliberation, but also appeared to support the appropriation of funds.

“It’s clear that on the covering page of the submission (to the ERC meeting) there was a note that it was on (the agenda at) the request of the treasurer at the time,” Mr Barilaro said.

Having been newly elected NSW Nationals leader and deputy premier at the time, Mr Barilaro said he was unfamiliar with the conventions of ERC meetings because he had only been present on a handful of occasions.