Christine. Monica. Stormy… Gladys.
The annals of political sex scandals are rarely adorned with women named Gladys. But then, the women in political sex scandals are usually the ones embarrassing male politicians. This time it’s a female leader in the hot seat, embarrassed by her connection with a ne’er-do-well Lothario… named Daryl.
God, it’s all a bit dull and kitchen-sink-drama, isn’t it? Well, let’s admit it, we don’t do sex scandals that well, here in Australia. We leave that stuff to the Brits, where it seems that every other week some polly is being caught dressed up in bondage gear, getting oiled up with a midget and a pig’s head. Here in Australia, we have Gladys and Daryl and the scandal is not what they did in the bedroom, but rather what one of them was up to in the backroom and what the other knew about it.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is generally regarded as a capable, no-nonsense manager. A bit dull, but she does her job well. (Well, if you ignore the Ruby Princess fiasco.) So, the spectacle of her being dragged through a corruption scandal because of a shady ex-lover is a bit surprising. In fact, even the fact of the relationship is a surprise.
Gladys Berejiklian has vowed to continue as NSW Premier despite a humiliating appearance at a corruption hearing that has shocked her ministers, revealing a secret five-year relationship with a disgraced former Liberal MP facing corruption allegations.
Senior Liberal MPs were publicly standing by Ms Berejiklian on Monday night, but reserving judgment after the Independent Commission Against Corruption heard secretly recorded telephone conversations in which then Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire discussed with the Premier intimate details about his finances and lobbying for developers, including being paid commissions on land deals.
The appearance has plunged Ms Berejiklian’s government into its deepest crisis, with the “very private” NSW Premier forced to concede that she had “stuffed up” her personal life[…]Despite sacking him in 2018, Ms Berejiklian said she continued her relationship with Mr Maguire on “compassionate grounds”.
There is no denying that ol’ Dazza was a very naughty political boy, at least.
At his NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) hearing, Maguire has confessed to nearly everything that’s been alleged against him.
This includes monetising his parliamentary position, organising a Chinese delegation to meet then Premier Barry O’Farrell and using his Macquarie Street office as a cash drop off point.
While Mr Maguire has attempted to pin the blame for the illegitimate “cash for visa” scam on his offsider Maggie Wang, neither Mr Robertson or assistant commissioner have bought it.
Yet there’s a considerable amount the hearing hasn’t learnt of yet[…]expect to hear more about Mr Maguire’s time as chairman of the Asia Pacific Friendship Group, including his endeavours to find commercial opportunities across a string of South Pacific countries.
But what breathless followers of the Glad’n’Daz show really want to know is: where does the premier stand, in all of this? So far, Berejiklian has denied any involvement in or knowledge of Maguire’s shenanigans. “If I ever saw it or witnessed it, of course I would have taken action”, she claims, despite phone taps showing that she was at least aware of some of his business wheelings and dealings so far as they appeared legitimate. But her response of “I don’t need to know about that bit”, when Maguire alluded to seeking help with a land sale from “one bloke from” the Premier’s office, has been the subject of heavy questioning.
So far, Daz the Love Rat is standing by his (ex) woman.
Dodgy Daryl Maguire did a lot of bad things while he was an MP in NSW.
But he never pimped out Gladys.
We’re using that word in the business sense, meaning: he never took a fee for bringing Chinese businessmen into her orbit, or indeed into the orbit of any of his fellow MPs.
That would, he said, be going too far.
What was curious was how Maguire – an MP in NSW for nineteen years – said this with a touch of pride in his voice, like there are some rocks under which even he will not slither[…]
Can we believe him? Maguire has this morning admitted to so much wrongdoing it is hard to know where to start.
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