NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will face more gruelling questions today as Parliament sits for the first time since explosive revelations at the state's corruption watchdog.
Key points:
- The Premier says she "stuffed up" in her personal life but has done nothing wrong professionally
- In evidence to ICAC, she revealed she stopped contact with Daryl Maguire after realising she would have to give evidence
- Opposition Leader Jodi McKay says Labor may move a no-confidence motion against the Premier
Ms Berejiklian yesterday revealed at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that she had been in a five-year "close personal relationship" with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.
The ICAC is investigating whether the former member for Wagga Wagga used his political influence in business deals.
Mr Maguire quit Parliament in 2018 after he admitted to a separate ICAC inquiry that he sought payment over a deal with a Chinese property developer.
But ICAC heard Ms Berejiklian was in a relationship with Mr Maguire from 2015 until only several months ago, when she was told she would need to give evidence.
Opposition Leader Jodi McKay said the Labor Party would rigorously pursue the Premier in Question Time over the next fortnight.
She called for Ms Berejiklian to resign and flagged the possibility of a no-confidence motion against her.
"I think it's extraordinary that Ms Berejiklian thinks she can still be Premier of this state when she has turned a blind eye to corruption," Ms McKay said.
Following her evidence yesterday, Ms Berejiklian admitted she had "stuffed up in my personal life".
But she refused to resign, telling reporters: "I haven't done anything wrong."
"If I had done something wrong, I would be the first to consider my position — but I haven't."
At Sydney's Central Station, the responses from passers-by to yesterday's revelations at the corruption watchdog were mixed.
"This issue of what happens in people's private lives is essentially a very private matter," one woman said.
Another said she thought it sounded "like a conflict of interest".
"Without question her image and her judgment has been dampened and we don't know what else is going on there as well," one man said.
Another woman said Ms Berejiklian was "entitled to her life".
Several senior Liberal MPs, including Transport Minister Andrew Constance, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet have rallied behind Ms Berejiklian.
But Greens Upper House MP David Shoebridge tweeted it was "hard to see how the Premier can survive a day in Parliament this week given the bombshells" dropped at ICAC.
"The NSW Coalition has form with its members being MPs by day and property developers by night," he tweeted.
In a recorded phone call played to ICAC yesterday, Mr Maguire was heard telling the Premier in September 2017 about a deal in Western Sydney.
"It looks like we finally got the Badgerys Creek stuff done … I'll be glad when that's done because I'll make enough money to pay off my debts, which would be good. Can you believe it, in one sale?"
Ms Berejiklian replied: "I can believe it."
In another call several days later, Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian the deal was done and she replied saying: "I don't need to know about that bit."
Mr Shoebridge labelled the Badgerys Creek calls as "genuinely disturbing".
Ms McKay yesterday said the phone calls showed the Premier was "privy to the wheelings and dealings of Daryl Maguire, a disgraced member of this Parliament".
Ms Berejiklian told ICAC she would have reported Mr Maguire if she thought something was amiss.
Following the inquiry yesterday, she said she had experienced "one of the most difficult days" of her life.
But she could be in for more tough times this week as her judgement comes under scrutiny in Parliament and with Mr Maguire set to give evidence at ICAC from Wednesday.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEwLTEzL2dsYWR5cy1iZXJlamlrbGlhbi1yZWxhdGlvbnNoaXAtd2l0aC1kYXJ5bC1tYWd1aXJlLXF1ZXN0aW9uLXRpbWUvMTI3NTkwOTLSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI3NTkwOTI?oc=5
2020-10-12 19:35:00Z
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