Latest updates
ICAC inquiry to kick off at 10am
The ICAC will restart its hearings at 10am today, with the disgraced Wagga Wagga politician at the centre of its investigation due to appear.
Former MP Daryl Maguire has been the subject of a four-week public probe by the ICAC, investigating whether he misused his public office in the pursuit of his own financial interests by attempting to broker property deals.
Of course, these allegations have been made more explosive by the revelation Mr Maguire was in a "close, personal relationship" with Premier Gladys Berejiklian for a five-year period, during which this conduct occurred.
Mr Maguire is expected to be questioned about his relationship with the Premier, an instance where he took a "tipsy" property developer into her office, as well as an instance where he distributed her personal email address to a landowner wanting to lobby Ms Berejiklian. There were also some interesting revelations from his associate Maggie Wang's questioning yesterday, including that Mr Maguire drove over his iPad and iPhone with a tractor ...
This is Mary Ward signing off the blog. Michaela Whitbourn will be taking you through all the ICAC action from 10am.
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This morning's big story: Premier met publicans at behest of secret partner
In case you missed it earlier in the blog, Carrie Fellner writes in today's Sydney Morning Herald that a meeting between Premier Gladys Berejiklian and two Wagga Wagga publicans with criminal histories is being examined in new light, following revelations the Premier was in a relationship with their local MP.
The Premier agreed to meet with a group of three publicans at the behest of her secret partner Daryl Maguire after her own Racing and Gaming Ministers allegedly refused.
Gladys Berejiklian and former MP Daryl Maguire were in a secret relationship for five years.Credit:AAP, Janie Barrett
The October 2017 meeting over "gaming issues" was attended by Ms Berejiklian, Mr Maguire and three publicans, one who had been convicted of arson and attempted insurance fraud and another who had been found guilty of illegally owning poker machines.
The third publican at the meeting, who has no criminal history, told The Sydney Morning Herald that Mr Maguire arranged access to the Premier for the group after their attempts to meet with more junior ministers proved futile.
"Daryl organised the meeting with Gladys for us as the former Ministers for Gaming and Racing refused to see us," Wagga Wagga publican Greg Evans said on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, despite a positive meeting, there was no positive outcome from the meeting."
Cheds in hand, Premier leaves home for Parliament
Premier Gladys Berejiklian again declined to answer questions as she left her north shore home for Parliament this morning.
As you can see, the Cheds were in hand.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian leaving home on Wednesday. Credit:Nine
Analysis: Can we have a Premier who trusts so willingly?
Plenty of Premier Gladys Berejiklian's reputation maintenance this week has been based on being duped: "I trusted someone who didn't deserve to have my trust," she said on Tuesday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has maintained she did nothing wrong throughout her relationship with Daryl Maguire. Credit:Nick Moir
But, our state political editor Alexandra Smith is asking this morning: can NSW have a Premier who trusts so willingly? She writes:
When Arts Minister Don Harwin was forced (temporarily) to stand down from cabinet over an alleged breach of COVID-19 rules, Berejikllian told the state that it was critical ministers not only did the right thing, but they were seen to be doing the right thing. Perception is everything. ...
For a leader who holds herself to be a paragon of virtue, Berejiklian's trust in Maguire was an unacceptable lapse of judgement. And surely sound judgment is one of the most critical attributes a leader must have?
... Berejiklian's many political allies bemoan that her only failure is that she is "too nice" and was too forgiving of his questionable ways. But this involved a man facing possible criminal charges. ... The question that is now plaguing Berejiklian is will the people of NSW accept a Premier who is so easily hoodwinked and trusts without question?
Labor confirms intention to move motion of no confidence
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay is gearing up for her motion of no confidence in state Parliament today, tweeting a video of her flagging the move yesterday.
Ms McKay contends Premier Gladys Berejiklian had an obligation to report what she was told by Mr Maguire about his possible misuse of his political position in business plans during recorded phone conversations heard by the ICAC on Monday.
It seems unlikely the motion will be passed, given Ms Berejiklian's support from her own party.
Maguire 'like a James Hewitt of 2020': Police Minister
By Laura Chung
Minister for Police David Elliott says Premier Gladys Berejiklian had shown to be a woman of "great dignity" who couldn't help what happened over the course of her relationship with former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.
"Within the community and the government, the emotion has gone from sympathy to just anger. Anger that one of our own colleagues exploited Gladys and behaved like a James Hewitt of 2020, and we're pretty furious with him," he said.
Mr Elliott said love was a "strange thing" and he wouldn't doubt her credibility just because she'd had a relationship with "someone that exploited her".
"We all know women that have been blinded by love and I think that that's the Greek tragedy out of what's happened over the course of the last few weeks," he said.
"Who in society these days hasn't had a bad relationship? We've all had bad relationships, but my concern is that she was exploited by somebody who we all thought was a good bloke and it turns out that he was just doing dodgy deals and using people."
When asked who Mr Elliott would support if Ms Berejiklian stepped down, he responded he didn't deal with hypotheticals.
'I've never seen Gladys make a mistake twice': PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has again defended Premier Gladys Berejiklian, saying "her integrity is not in question".
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB, the Prime Minister said the Premier had been upfront and vulnerable with the public, denying it would be appropriate for Ms Berejiklian to step down in light of revelations heard at the ICAC this week.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has again defended the Premier.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
"She's been very upfront with people, and I think very vulnerable about it," the Prime Minister said, later adding: "If she makes a mistake, I've never seen her make it twice."
The Prime Minister echoed comments made by a number of Liberal figures that the Premier has just made a poor romantic decision, telling Fordham "people have all made personal decisions they regret".
"Not everybody is as fortunate as others in their personal life and how these things go ... I've been blessed, as you know," he added, referencing his wife, Jenny.
He applauded Treasurer Dominic Perrottet for standing by the Premier, and said he believed the Premier was "a great jockey" who would be proceeding with leading the nation's coronavirus recovery.
"I know what Gladys would be doing today: she'd just be working through her agenda."
ICYMI: that 'unfortunate' tractor accident
One of the more interesting moments from yesterday's ICAC hearing – which saw migration agent, and Daryl Maguire's associate, Maggie Wang before the commission – involved two Apple products and a tractor.
Ms Wang told the corruption watchdog the disgraced MP said he destroyed his phone and iPad with a tractor in an "unfortunate accident", following his unrelated 2018 appearance at the ICAC.
"He said something like, 'There's been an unfortunate accident where my phones and iPad have been run over by a tractor,'" she said.
Needless to say, some people have had a bit of a chuckle about what exactly could have caused a man to run over his electronics with a tractor.
Is a 'close personal' relationship 'intimate'?
According to Dr Simon Longstaff, executive director of the Ethics Centre, there is just one question which matters in the aftermath of Premier Gladys Berejiklian's ICAC appearance on Tuesday.
"The real test is not whether she has a particular personal relationship or not, it all comes down to the ministerial code of conduct, which has a force of law," Dr Longstaff told Sunrise this morning.
"We have to start with a question: Did the Premier, at any time during the relationship, make a decision, whether as an individual or part of her cabinet, which could reasonably have conferred a private benefit on Mr Maguire?"
If this situation may have appeared, an obligation fell on the Premier to disclose conflicts of interest and family members – defined in the code as someone with whom you have an "intimate" relationship, a phrase Dr Longstaff said "most people" would think is synonymous with the "close personal" relationship described by Ms Berejiklian.
"It's not whether the person did benefit, it's whether the person could have benefitted," he said.
In media appearances yesterday, representatives from the Ethics Centre said the Premier acted with "complete integrity".
ICAC FAQ: The key questions unanswered after Berejiklian's appearance
By Tom Rabe
Despite the public spotlight on the NSW Premier's private life, there are still some crucial gaps in what we need to know after this week's extraordinary ICAC revelations.
When did the relationship start? The Premier told the ICAC that her close personal relationship with former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire began after the 2015 state election. However, text messages from as early as February 2014 show Mr Maguire referred to Ms Berejiklian by the Armenian term of endearment "hokis", or "hawkrss".
Gladys Berejiklian giving evidence at the ICAC inquiry on Monday.
What did the Premier know? Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly stated that she had no reason to suspect Mr Maguire was doing anything wrong before the ICAC scandal broke in mid-2018, when she demanded his resignation from the party. But on several occasions Mr Maguire bragged to Ms Berejiklian about potential business deals he said was about to land.
Why isn’t the Premier stepping down? The Premier said she had been able to maintain a distinction between her personal life and the public office she holds. She described herself as having a "close personal relationship" with Mr Maguire, and not an "intimate personal relationship" (and "intimate relationship" is categorised as a family member under the ICAC act). Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian said there was "no way" Mr Maguire was her spouse.
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2020-10-13 22:45:00Z
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