CORRUPTION BOMBSHELL FALLS ON FORMER NSW PREMIER
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KEY FINDING:
* Ex-NSW premier and treasurer Gladys Berejiklian and long-time Wagga MP Daryl Maguire engaged in serious corrupt conduct, the Independent Commission Against Corruption found
OTHER FINDINGS:
* Maguire enthusiastically advocated for public funding grants for the Wagga-based Australian Clay Target Association and the Riverina Conservatorium of Music
* Ms Berejiklian was a member and sometimes presided over the cabinet committee that approved $5.5 million for the clay shooting club and $10m for the conservatorium between 2016 and 2018
* Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust by exercising functions related to those two groups without disclosing her relationship with Maguire which ran from around 2015 to 2020
* In 2018, she took steps to have more funding delivered for the conservatorium while influenced "by the existence of her close personal relationship" with Maguire or "by a desire on her part to maintain or advance that relationship"
* While Ms Berejiklian had argued that she had not consciously engaged in wrongdoing, ICAC found she had an opportunity to disclose her relationship with Maquire but "deliberately failed to do so".
* She also acted corruptly by refusing to discharge her duty to report suspicion of potential corrupt conduct by Maguire
* Numerous findings were made about Maguire's serious corrupt conduct involving enterprises unrelated to Ms Berejiklian, including his use of public office to enrich himself through a visa scheme and property developer kickbacks
REFERRALS FOR PROSECUTION:
* ICAC has referred Maguire to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider whether potential criminal misconduct in public office charges should be laid
* ICAC has not referred Ms Berejiklian for prosecution, acknowledging it had enough evidence to make an adverse finding but not so much as to meet the "very high bar" to pursue criminal misconduct charges
REACTION QUOTES:
"The commission finds that Ms Berejiklian engaged in serious corrupt conduct." - ICAC
"At all times I have worked my hardest in the public interest. Nothing in this report demonstrates otherwise." - Gladys Berejiklian, who's now an Optus executive
"Optus acknowledges the ICAC report published in relation to Gladys Berejiklian's time serving as a Member of the NSW Parliament. We refer you to Gladys' media statement and have no further comment to make." - Optus' response
"It is important for all politicians in NSW and anyone in public life or positions of leadership to understand we must manage conflicts of interest and declare them." - Labor Premier Chris Minns
"(ICAC) does not suggest that there has been any arguable breach of the criminal law by the actions it investigated by Ms Berejiklian, nor was it suggested in the inquiry that Ms Berejiklian received any personal financial benefit." - Opposition leader Mark Speakman
"What a ridiculous display - ICAC turning a corruption report into a live TV event at Parliament House ... it has taken ICAC two years to tell us that Gladys Berejiklian has not broken the law." - former Liberal treasurer Matt Kean
"This is why we have ICAC and why we need to bolster its powers and resources. No one is above democracy." - Greens MP Abigail Boyd
Australian Associated Press
