Former Premier of NSW Cited in Corrupt Conduct Investigation

The findings of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) have revealed that former NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has engaged in corrupt conduct involving her secret romantic partner and fellow lawmaker, Daryl Maguire.

The commission launched an inquiry into Maguire’s business dealings with China in 2020, which revealed the former premier had failed to alert the commission of her concerns that Maguire may have been using his position for personal gain. Subsequently, Berejiklian resigned from her post and denied any wrongdoing.

The ICAC inquiry found Maguire had engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” between 2012 and 2018, which included misusing his role as chairman of the NSW Parliament’s Asia Pacific Friendship Group to advance the commercial interests of a Shenzhen business association in South Pacific nations, and monetising his position by receiving a fee to introduce the party secretary of Liaoning province in China to then NSW premier Barry O’Farrell at parliament in 2012.

Furthermore, the inquiry uncovered evidence that Maguire had received envelopes full of thousands of dollars in cash at his parliament office as part of a scheme to fraudulently acquire visas for Chinese nationals.

Maguire already faces a criminal charge for his role in the visa scheme, and his lawyer has stated that the commission was “not authorised” to make findings that a criminal offence had been committed.

The ICAC report stated that Berejiklian had not complied with the NSW ministerial code of conduct, as she failed to act on her concerns about Maguire’s business dealings. The findings of the ICAC have raised significant questions about the ethical standards of the former NSW premier and her relationship with the former lawmaker, and have highlighted the importance of adhering to the NSW ministerial code of conduct.

Moving forward, it is essential that the NSW government works to ensure that this kind of conduct is not repeated in the future. As former premier Berejiklian herself said, “The public expects and deserves the highest standards of integrity and accountability from all of us who serve them.”