Maguire's ICAC testimony full of personal revelations
Daryl Maguire, former NSW Liberal MP and ex-secret-boyfriend of former Premier Gladys Berejiklian, faced ICAC on Thursday, as part of their inquiry into Berejiklian’s conduct while premier.
The inquiry started on Thursday morning with Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl, SC, rejecting an application made by Berejiklian’s barristers to make part of the hearings private in anticipation of Maguire being questioned about his relationship with the former premier. Berejiklian’s team said that the proposed questions raised “personal privacy concerns of the highest order for my client” and could lead to intense media scrutiny, humiliation, and harm. Ms McColl felt that it was not in the public interest for her to make such an order.
Giving evidence remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions, Maguire informed ICAC that he was in a relationship with Berejiklian from 2015 until at least July 2018, when she asked him to quit politics following his evidence at another corruption inquiry. Despite this, Berejiklian confirmed at the ICAC in October of last year that the pair kept in touch until September.
Maguire’s testimony was full of revelations about the couple’s relationship. The former state MP admitted to attempting to get confidential information from state MPs about land in Cawdor in the Wollondilly Shire to assist his property developer friend William Leong. He said, “I asked their view on what they thought would happen.”
He agreed with former deputy premier John Barilaro’s statement that he was a “pain in the arse” in advocating for projects in his electorate. He also agreed that he was determined when advocating for millions of dollars in funding for two organisations in his electorate, the Australian Clay Target Association and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music. He admitted to lobbying the former state treasurer as well as Berejiklian about funding for these organisations.
In addition, Maguire admitted he was a “serial pest” when it came to lobbying sports minister Stuart Ayres and Berejiklian about funding for a multimillion-dollar proposal regarding the Australian Clay Target Association. Ayres eventually signed off on $40,000 for the club in 2016. He is not accused of wrongdoing. The association later received $5.5 million from the state government to upgrade its facilities.
Regarding his relationship with Berejiklian, Maguire said that he had a key to her home and that the couple contemplated marriage. In addition, he said they loved each other and had discussed having children. He told the ICAC that Berejiklian had not yet asked for her house key back.
Berejiklian is expected to face the inquiry on Friday. She denies wrongdoing and has said that history will show she was acting in the best interests of the people of NSW.
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