NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has told an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry that she was in a close personal relationship with former MP for Wagga Wagga, Daryl Maguire when he was forced to resign.
Berejikilian told the corruption inquiry that she was in a relationship with Maguire from around the time of the state election in 2015, until just a few months ago.
The inquiry is investigating whether Maguire used his position for personal gain. The inquiry has heard evidence that he sought payments to help broker deals with property developers.
Last week, it was heard that Maguire gave out Berejiklian’s personal email to help a landowner lobby for changes.
“When I was asked to support this inquiry it became apparent to me that I should have absolutely no contact anymore and I ceased all contact,” Berejiklian said the inquiry.
“More substantially, I’m a very private person and I didn’t feel the relationship had sufficient substance for it to be made public,” Berejiklian said.
Berejiklian says she never cared about Maguire’s financial status, and that she was aware of his business interests but assumed he had disclosed those when it was appropriate.
“If you’re suggesting that I cared about his financial position, I reject that completely. I did not care. That was his business, it had nothing to with me,’’ she said. “I’ve never relied on anybody else in my life. And I wouldn’t start then.”
“Can I say I would never ever turn a blind eye from any responsibility I had to disclose any wrongdoing that I saw or any activity that I thought was not in keeping with what a member of parliament should be doing,” she said.
Berejiklian also said she had told Maguire not to disclose information to her about about matters he was involved in. She said Maguire was obsessed with his financial status.
“I would suggest that I was either not interested or I thought what he was raising with me was fanciful, he was a big talker,” Berejiklian said.
Maguire was forced to resign from parliament in 2018 after a corruption inquiry heard recordings of him discussing commissions with with a local councillor, regarding deals with a Chinese developer.