The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation into the relationship between former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and disgraced MP for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire is underway, and boy oh boy is this messy.
To give you some context, ICAC is investigating their relationship because the NSW government promised millions of dollars in funding to two organisations in Daryl Maguire’s electorate of Wagga Wagga between 2016 and 2018, while he was in a secret relationship with Gladys Berejiklian, who used to be NSW treasurer before she became premier.
At the centre of the investigation are two grants, the $5.5m given to the Australian Clay Target Association’s clubhouse and convention centre in 2017, and $30m for the Riverina conservatorium of music in Wagga Wagga in 2018.
Here are the most explosive reveals from today’s inquiry.
1. Daryl Maguire says he and Gladys Berejiklian were in love and planning a future together, but she previously said he wasn’t even her boyfriend
In a quick-fire questioning, Maguire revealed that he and Berejiklian holidayed together and stayed at each other’s houses all the time. He said he and Berejiklian were in love with each other, and their secret relationship (which started around 2015) was serious, to the point where they were talking about getting married and having a kid together. He even confirmed they were ~physically intimate~ (this is like hearing about your parents having sex, I hate it), and that he still has a key to her house (???).
This is all very interesting (read: messy) because just recently Berejiklian said he wasn’t even her boyfriend.
“He wasn’t my boyfriend. He wasn’t anything of note. I certainly hoped it would be … [but] because I’m not the sort of person who’d been in a long-term relationship, I didn’t want to introduce him to my social circle,” she told 2GB last week.
Berejiklian told ICAC the relationship wasn’t of significant note. Then did a series of interviews saying she loved him and hoped they would marry. Can’t have it both ways.
— Alexandra Smith (@AlexSmithSMH) October 28, 2021
While Maguire said their relationship was romantically serious, he agreed with Berejiklian’s lawyer that they didn’t share finances or diaries, and never met each other’s families as a couple. He also said that while they generally kept their work and private discussions seperate, he “wouldn’t have cut her any slack” when it came to lobbying.
Were you using the close personal relationship with @GladysB in order to lobby her for projects for Wagga? “Yeah, I wouldn’t have cut her any slack,” replies Maguire. #ICAC
— Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) October 28, 2021
2. Daryl Maguire admitted to seeking confidential information in the hopes of making some $$$
Daryl Maguire has admitted he sought confidential information from a Member of Parliament with the view of advancing the commercial interests of his businessman friend and ultimately to receive financial benefit for himself.
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) October 28, 2021
ICAC heard a phone call recording between Maguire and his friend and business associate, property investor William Luong.
In the call, Maguire told Luong about a confidential map depicting the potential route of the M9, which would have been relevant to a land sale.
Maguire said he had a friend that could access the map, but when Luong asked for a copy, Maguire said: “No, we couldn’t, we couldn’t possibly do that. That would be very wrong.” But, then he told Luong he has a friend who’s seen it and could potentially recall it.
“I’m going to send your IM to my friend. He’s going to look and see if he recalls that map in his mindset, he’s actually seen it and I haven’t,” he said, per The Guardian.
Maguire admitted to ICAC that by giving that confidential info to Luong, he misused his position as an MP. He said that he didn’t have an official financial “agreement” with Luong, but it was “possible” that could’ve been part of why he agreed to pass that info on.
You were misusing your position in parliament? Daryl Maguire pauses, looks off into the distance, and then replies matter of factly – “Yes.” #icac
— Kate McClymont (@Kate_McClymont) October 28, 2021
3. Gladys Berejiklian said she would “throw” money at Wagga Wagga in explosive intercepted phone call
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian taped talking with the *then* disgraced Daryl Maguire. Maguire complains that a project he’s pushing is being blocked by bureaucrats. Premier Berejiklian responds:“Don’t worry; I can overrule them”. Explosive stuff. The corruption hearings continue.
— Anthony Klan (@Anthony_Klan) October 28, 2021
There were several phone calls revealed during the hearing, but the two most explosive were those that saw Berejiklian tell Maguire that she would “throw” more money at Wagga Wagga.
The calls took place not long after Maguire resigned from parliament in 2018, which sparked a byelection, and Maguire said he was giving advice to Berejiklian on what projects she should fund to hold onto the seat.
“You just throw money at Wagga,” Maguire told Berejiklian in a phone call. She replied: “I’ll throw money at Wagga, don’t you worry about that”. God, why do these people talk like they are villains in a spy movie?
https://twitter.com/erintheboss/status/1453569429606780932?s=20
Anyway, Berejiklian then asked Maguire to “do the right thing … otherwise you’ll kill me”.
In the call, Berejiklian said Maguire had already told her the “top three things” to fund as part of the byelection, including a stadium.
“I’ll do that too, don’t worry,” she said.
“[But the] bureaucracy knocked it all out,” Maguire replied, to which she said: “Yes but I can overrule them.”
5. Maguire said Gladys was the ‘source’ that confirmed the funding for the Riverina Conservtorium
The last phone recording played was of Maguire telling his replacement from the by-election that one of his “sources” confirmed the funding for the second stage of the Riverina conservatorium.
When asked who the source confirming the funding was, Maguire said: “Oh, it’d be from Ms Berejiklian”.
Gladys Berejiklian is expected to give evidence on Friday, and strenuously denies that she has done anything wrong.
