Gladys Berejklian driven by loss of secret twin sister

Gladys Berejiklian has revealed a tragic secret - she had a twin sister who did not survive childbirth.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she feels she has to ‘justify my existence by sacrificing’ after the death of her twin sister. Picture: Harold David

Gladys Berejiklian has revealed the tragic secret behind her renown­ed workaholism and drive to become the first woman to be elected in her own right as Premier of NSW at next month’s election.

Ms Berejiklian had a twin sister who did not survive childbirth.

In an interview published in The Weekend Australian Magazine today, she says she feels she has to “justify my existence by ­sacrificing”.

“Imagine if you had a twin, you came out first, they didn’t make it, I feel like I’ve got to justify my existence by sacrificing,” Ms Berejik­lian says. “So I don’t care if I’m not happy all the time. I feel like I’ve got to work hard. It was a complete fluke that I came out first.”

Ms Berejiklian, 48, only agreed to tell the story if her mother, Arsha, volunteered it in an interview. Arsha Berejiklian related later, without much prompting: “Yes, she was (a) twin sister. I never told her that she was one of the twins. The other one was a stillbirth. Sometimes I feel a bit sad. Maybe she was like Gladys.

“I never told her she was one of the twins because I don’t like to upset her.”

Ms Berejiklian says she found out she was a twin at a young age when a family friend, who had heard Arsha was having twins, came over and saw her and said “where’s the other one?”.

Final proof came at the age of 12 or 13 when Ms Berejiklian needed to obtain a birth certificate for a passport. The birth certificate said “elder of twins”.

Ms Berejiklian is striving to becom­e the first woman to be elect­ed Premier in her own right in Australia’s most populous state. Kristina Keneally was the first femal­e NSW premier but lost the 2011 poll. Ms Berejiklian became Premier after Mike Baird resigned in January 2017.

The Premier gives a reason for why she works so hard.

“I’m very lucky … for me every day in life is a bonus,” Ms Berejik­lian said. “Every day you contribute something is a good thing.

“I had a twin sister and she didn’t make it … Life is precious and every moment.

“My motto’s always been: try to make a difference.”

Mary Berejiklian, her younger sister, said Gladys “does always say she feels she has someone shadowing her”.

Ms Berejiklian faces a fight to hang onto government. A net loss of just six seats in the 93-seat legislative assembly would see her Coalition forced into minor­ity government.

It is widely believed the loss of nine to 10 seats would allow Labor’s Michael Daley to take power in minority government.

The opposition needs a 13-seat gain for a majority. A Newspoll last week had the major parties locked together 50-50 after ­preferences.