Gladys Berejiklian Icac hearing live updates: former NSW premier to appear before inquiry

Michael McGowan

Before we perceive from Berejiklian, it mightiness beryllium worthy refreshing our memories astir what the Icac’s probe is each about.

In 2018, Daryl Maguire, the long-time Liberal Party MP from Wagga Wagga, fronted an Icac probe known arsenic Operation Dasha, which focused connected allegations of corruption wrong a section assembly successful Sydney.

During the people of Maguire’s grounds to that inquiry, telephone intercepts were played betwixt him and a councillor from 2016 successful which they discussed the anticipation of earning commissions connected the merchantability of improvement sites which they wanted to assistance broker.

Maguire yet resigned from the parliament, but the Icac launched a abstracted probe into his affairs. Named Operation Keppel, it held nationalist hearings successful October past twelvemonth which revealed Maguire had tried to “monetise” his presumption arsenic an MP, including by making hundreds of thousands of dollars disconnected a occidental Sydney onshore deal.

The enquiry didn’t precisely marque front-page quality though, until Gladys Berejiklian appeared arsenic a witness. In 1 of the astir important moments successful the state’s caller governmental history, the then-premier told Icac she and Maguire had been successful a “close idiosyncratic relationship” since astatine slightest 2015. We’ve heard this week that astir of her elder unit members, and adjacent governmental allies including erstwhile premier Mike Baird, lone heard astir the narration erstwhile she was successful the witnesser stand. “Incredulous” was however Baird described his absorption astatine the time.

More important though was the information Icac had tapped Maguire’s phone, and recordings played successful the proceeding revealed helium had told the premier astir wealth helium stood to marque from the onshore deals helium was attempting to broker utilizing his power arsenic an MP.

“I don’t request to cognize astir that bit,” she was heard saying connected the call.

A twelvemonth later, the Icac announced that it had broadened the absorption of its probe to see the behaviour of Berejiklian herself. When the watchdog announced she was a absorption of the probe astatine the opening of this month, she instantly resigned.

At the bosom of the probe are 2 cardinal questions: did Berejiklian breach the nationalist spot by exercising her nationalist duties successful circumstances wherever she was “in a presumption of conflict” owed to her narration with Maguire, and did she breach her ineligible duties nether the state’s Icac Act by failing to study behaviour she had crushed to fishy connected “reasonable grounds” whitethorn person been conduct.

Hello and invited to our unrecorded sum of Gladys Berejiklian’s grounds to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

It’s been a period astir to the time since Berejiklian sensationally resigned arsenic NSW premier, having a excavation astatine Icac connected her mode out.

We’ve learned a batch since then.

Berejiklian present faces a bid of burning questions astir her engagement successful the awarding of 2 grants – the $5.5m fixed to the Australian Clay Target Association’s clubhouse and normal centre successful 2017, and $30m for the Riverina Conservatorium of Music successful Wagga Wagga successful 2018.

Her concealed lover, the disgraced ex-Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, had been advocating for both.

On Thursday, successful an explosive time of evidence, Icac heard damning telephone calls successful which Berejiklian told Maguire she would “throw money” astatine his erstwhile spot of Wagga Wagga aft his resignation from parliament, and asked for his “advice” astir what projects should beryllium funded to clasp the seat.

She told Maguire that backing for 1 of 2 grants was a “done deal” aft helium complained astir “roadblocks” connected his “money projects”.

Strap yourselves in. We’re owed to perceive from the erstwhile premier astatine 10am.