The most remarkable thing about the revelation of Gladys Berejiklian’s love life was that it was remarkable at all.
It is quite incredible that every person in the Macquarie Street bubble – government, opposition, staff, journalists, lobbyists, innocent bystanders – was completely oblivious to the fact that once the day’s work was over, the premier and her paramour would regularly go off for a bit of bonking in the background.
The New South Wales parliament is a seething cesspit of rumour and gossip, constantly skimmed in the hope of finding even a breath of scandal that can provide material for political advantage or just to make a good story in the dining room or the bar.
Secrecy is a non-starter, discretion unheard of. And yet apparently there was not even a hint that this sexiest of yarns was all but being hand-delivered to the hundreds who walked past it every day.
And while the press gallery was uninterested, others at least had a suspicion that something was going on. In Daryl Maguire’s electorate of Wagga Wagga some of his constituents speculated that their local member might be getting a bit on the side during his trips to Sydney, although they never dreamt he was going all the way to the top, and how intense it had become.
This was not a one night stand, a quick grab at a bit of rough trade after a hard day at the office, it was, as Berejiklian and the Independent Commission Against Corruption agreed to call it, a close personal relationship
This was not a one night stand, a quick grab at a bit of rough trade after a hard day at the office, it was, as Berejiklian and the Independent Commission Against Corruption agreed to call it, a close personal relationship – but not an intimate one, not a partnership; because that would have embroiled the premier in her own code of conduct. Even there she was being watchful and cautious.
But obviously not cautious enough once the two of them got together in what they hoped was privacy. While the media missed the long-standing affair for more than five years, the ICAC uncovered it with speed and efficiency; Berejiklian was not only raunchy but rash, not only embracing Daryl Maguire’s body, but tolerating, if not encouraging, his highly questionable morals.
Seeing as no one knew – or at least wanted to know – there was no one to warn her that she was walking the finest of lines between her personal and public life
And seeing as no one knew – or at least wanted to know – there was no one to warn her that she was walking the finest of lines between her personal and public life. She was aware – she must have been aware – that her lover was a chancer and a ‘wide boy’, long before he was sprung by the Commission. But she chose to ignore the reality, even after it became devastatingly public.
Such was her self-assurance – her ego, her arrogance – that she believed that she could remain aloof from his shenanigans, although he constantly paraded them in front of her. Whatever she precisely meant by the disclaimer ‘I don’t need to know about that bit’ it could hardly be taken as a declaration of Maguire’s probity and innocence.
And this is where she fails the pub test. No one is accusing her of anything more than insouciance – there is no suggestion that she got herself further involved than listening to his delusional boasting. But she could have, and should have, stopped him. Even if she was unwilling to report him to the ICAC, encouraging him – continuing the close personal relationship – was simply unacceptable.
And it is clear that Maguire thought there was still potential profit in keeping her on the hook – introducing her to shysters and spivs, handing out her private contacts to his clients, trying to pique her interest in his dodgy enterprises. And the besotted premier never told him to just shut up and piss off.
She is not Saint Gladys, some kind of immaculate conception, as her over-the-top supporters are now trying to portray her
Berejiklian is a successful politician, a competent premier; Scott Morrison called her his gold standard, which is probably fair enough given the bin full of cardboard cutouts he has to work with in his own ministry. But she is not Saint Gladys, some kind of immaculate conception, as her over-the-top supporters are now trying to portray her.
She has stuffed up, and not just in her choice of lovers. Her political judgement has frankly been appalling. And worse, she is utterly unrepentant. A cursory apology, a brief expression of regret – but no admission that she has actually done anything wrong, or that there is a need for restraint and reform.
So presumably there won’t be any. She has no intention of resigning, and her Liberal colleagues are too cowed to do anything more than mumble in backrooms. Maguire will bluster his way through the ICAC and Berejiklian will bluster her way through the parliament. And the long-suffering public will wonder anew why there always seem to be different rules, different standards, between the elite and the rest of us.
The smarties don’t take the law seriously – it is a game to be played with lawyers and loopholes, the aim of which is to win at all costs, none of the namby pamby nonsense of waiting for the captain to smite contestants on the shoulder and remind them to ‘Play up! Play up! and play the game!’
Maguire was blatantly corrupt and he knew it – the excruciating details being teased out at the ICAC make that horribly clear. But he had no compunction in pushing past the limits.
Maguire was blatantly corrupt and he knew it – the excruciating details being teased out at the ICAC make that horribly clear. But he had no compunction in pushing past the limits. Who needs ethics & co when you have protection at the highest level of government? Maguire was quite literally in bed with the premier. From his perspective, that made him invulnerable.
And while Berejiklian was determined to keep herself at arm’s length, to turn a blind eye, she could not avoid being drawn into what is delicately called a climate conducive to corruption. Whether she admits it or not, she was irrevocably entangled in the net. Maguire and his cronies obviously believed that if they pushed hard enough, favours would fall their way.
As far as we know they didn’t. And thanks to the ICAC, there is no risk of them doing so. The ICAC does not, and should not, make and enforce laws; that is for the elected politicians. Its role is to expose corruption, and in this case it has been spectacularly successful.
Tough on Gladys Berejiklian, whose reputation – if not her career – has suffered collateral damage. But undeniably in the public interest. Which is why Scott Morrison and his coterie are so unwilling to allow any such body within arm’s length of the federal government. The national interest seldom coincides with their own.
I must remark and give Mungo a mark for his remarkable intro as the revelation that is now in the media is a mark against the premier.
Gee, ain’t love grand that the heart flutters, and you say silly things and bauk with mutters and only two people matter and you walk on air and there is a zing in the step and you sigh with loving, long silences on the phone. How do I love thee, let me count the ways.
10 out of 10 Mungo.
Great commentary as usual Mungo. The Premier’s comments in ICAC show she is guilty of at least cover up and not following up on corruption. In the end she sacked him for corruption but they remained in a relationship until ICAC terms advised. To say she suffered collateral damage is an understatement. We can not have a naïve Premier and Gladys is not naïve
Well, Glad’s just one-of-the-boys – the parliamentary ones – who’ve learned
that ‘standards’ don’t mean anything. ScMo’s golden state-holder is holy &
that’s why she answers to Saint Glad. Simple isn’t it. We get what we didn’t
vote for.
Sorry Mungo, I’m not a fan of your ‘boys’ club’ language. Ever since you uttered an extremely crude, crass and distasteful comment regarding Julia Gillard (which you thought was funny, but thankfully the audience did not) at the Byron Writers Festival… I have gone off your writing. This is just more of the same. Perhaps you have a streak of Tony Abbot in you?
I feel that Mungo has as much fun writing this as I had reading it!
I question whether the alleged romantic relationship ever happened, or whether it was the best front she could make up for a purely corrupt business relationship.
The Glazza and The Dazza Show, what a performance – The Dazza for his list of admissions at ICAC and The Glazza for, trying to fool us all into believing that she was ‘fooled’ by her ‘Numero Uno’, The Dazza. You know a pollie is in serious trouble when things go into overdrive for puff pieces to come running hot off Rupert’s Newscorp presses. Last weekends ( Saturday ) The Daily Telegraph and ( Sunday ) The Sunday Telegraph ( Rupert’s Sydney newspapers ) exhibits A and B for the defence of Premier Berejiklian. Then more time was diverted with followup radio performance on 2GB. Valuable time for running NSW all dumped in order to ‘Save our Glad’ from…herself. As is usual for The Liberals, whether it at State or Federal level, there is always a standard for Labor and then NO standard for The Liberals. This current NSW Government has been a rotten administration and again we have seen that the rot starts from the head.
People are saying this is a terrible blight on Gladys’s record. What record is it ? She has been disastrous !
Her handling of the drought was less than appropriate, with much of the relief going to rich land-owners and nothing to agricultural workers and the enslaved visa holders. Under her watch the pathetic RFS allowed eight and one half million hectares to be sacrificed, while protecting the insurance industry as the priority. Gladys was also sitting on her hands while the Ruby Princess infected with impunity and 30,000 students from China
were allowed back in, after China admitted losing control of the virus, perhaps she had her mind on more pressing matters.
The only difference between Gladys and Daryl is that his corruption has been publically exposed.
Cheers, G”)
Not my Glad and her list of disasters disasters, we can add these ones as well: Gladys and her ‘Council Grants / Rorts”; Koalas and Tree Conservation; The Idon’tCare affair; Sydney City Light Rail -well overtime in completion that crunched business owners and well over budget with that monstrous $500millions compensation payment to the light rail system builders – our so called ‘superior economic managers’ in action and then the whole project saw the destruction of 100 year old trees, tributes to The ANZACS, along Anzac Avenue; The Powerhouse debacle; The knockdown, rebuild Stadiums fiasco; Privatisation of The Land Titles Office; Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Pool;’ New train sets that don’t fit platforms and don’t fit in tunnels; Heritage destruction;…everyone else please feel free to further contribute
All true Mungo.
I’m just uncomfortable equating Gladys’ foibles with the examples of utter corruption carried out by other politicians, both Liberal and Labor, both State and Federal. Yes, she could and should have done more against this bozo from Wagga. But she was in love. It’s understandable that she turned a blind eye to behavior which should have been ringing alarm bells.
That’s not to excuse her behavior. But if she loses her job over this, and the likes of Angus Taylor continue merrily on, can we really say that justice has been done?
Round Wagga he’s known as Horse Mcguire.. the Spinster whisperer..
The worst of this is the thought of such profoundly unattractive creatures bonking.
Nailed it again Mungo!
Gladys and her mates are just another example of how the educated and privileged elite have control of governments around the globe and are determined to extract as much profit and influence for themselves before going to gaol for a short time. History has many examples. And most kept their money and influence!
Yes Alice !!” Love truth but pardon error ”
So lucky in love Alice !! May will all follow Your
Lead .. Bravo !
Barrow old son, you desperately not wanting to see the real issue, that Not my Glad turned a blind eye to her ‘Numero Uno’s’ dealings. She sacked him from his parliamentary position and forced him out of the Liberal Party because of his, at the time, ‘alleged misdeeds’, now admitted misdeeds at The ICAC but she still kept the relationship going for another 2 years after the time he was sacked and ousted. The immortal quote at The ICAC from Not my Glad, “I don’t need to know about that bit” – game, set , match!
Yay Mungo! You’ve absolutely nailed it again! Bravo!
Another Mungo masterpiece.
Gladys’ can stay on for as long as she like; the ALP won’t mind.
They can just wind her up every session with, ‘Woo,hooo!’
Woohoo! “I don’t need to know about that bit”!
And we the public, only know about “That bit”, because “ACIC were bugging the phone”, because they were tipped off about the corruption by “Witnesses” that had reported the corruption that had been going on for years?
Friday afternoons off to Wagga Wagga dinners at Dazza’s and the restaurants with developers, there were witnesses every where.
Expenses rorting, now being investigated?
WE even saw Gladys up here in the Tweed having dinner, with the vested interests of the “Hospital protected Farmland rezoning”, “GLADYS PROTECTED FROM THE “IRATE PUBLIC WITH THE 50,000 SIGNATURE PETITION” BY THE EVER PRESENT PROTECTION UNIT AND POLICE”?
There is so, so much more we haven’t heard about Gladys and “The Others”, YET?
Gladys is NOT naive….she is a savvy (revolting though I must add) politician.There is NO way she didn’t know about Daza’s scams/corruption and vested interest deals, that defy her own Code Of
Conduct Rules for politicians. Gladys was responsible for these ‘parliamentary codes’ . This is not a joke, but testament to the lack of concern or fear in relation to being exposed under Glady’s watch. This relationship went on for some 5 yrs & we the disempowered public, are expected to just believe that the Premier is innocent of all knowing & all allegations…REALLY ????? Meetings with the top end of town / the elite & powerful were not held in a jail cell (sadly) or in an underground bunker, many people saw these ‘business meetings’. Why is it that the great unwashed (the rest of us) can rarely ever get a meeting with the likes of Gladys & she spends her time doing business deals, while our Koalas die in front of her, due to her arrogance/smugness and lack of compassion. After all, the votes of the NATS mean much more than tragic Koala deaths that could be avoided.
She is doing a Howard ‘I was not informed’. A wonderful trick of his.(e.g. kids and truth o/board). ICAC have her on tape telling her man she doesn’t want to know what he was up to. The fact that she did not report him makes her an accomplice. Sad Cafe really. All the more reason for a Federal ICAC. It should have teeth and Labor should not worry..why…because over the years the Looters have been in govt 70% of the time and therefore they have the more stuff to hide.
When is Albo gonna do a Tony Abbott and start going for the personal stuff every day-his lies, his rorting, his one man side-show, the way he uses his faith for political gain. Albo must do this because the Looters have been in election mode from day 1.
The Premier is keeping her love affair on centre stage so that the obvious corruptIon stays in the dark.
The biggest political stuff up not only in Victoria
But also Australia over 800 men and women
Have died not one politician or person have taken ownership of who Engaged the service’s of this NSW Security firm including the Premier .
The hardest lockdowns in the world with human
Rights abuses especially against Women
You thought were only possible in dictatorships.
And most on this forum ? Silent !! Cannot even
Put your political differences aside To cast judgment on the Andrews Governments Handling of the Pandemic ? However happy to sink the
Boot in to the NSW premier who incidentally
Has handled this pandemic better than any
State in Australia unquestionable ..
The NSW premier made some huge mistakes
In her personal life !! And what none of you on this
Forum have ? At worst she needs to RESIGN!!
Something Dan Andrews should have done
Months ago .. hypocrites!!
Barrow my man, your violin playing for ‘Honest Gladys’ is hilarious. Forget the sideshow of Poor Gladys unlucky in love, it is NOT the issue. and never has been but of course you been fooled by Gladys into believing that ‘unlucky love’ is the only issue. The Woo Hoo!” and the “I don’t need to know about that bit”, direct from the lips of ‘Honest Gladys’, even a primary school child understands that ‘Honest Gladys’ was in the know about the shenanigans of her Daryl, her ‘Numero Uno’, no less. As for #IstandwithDan and the Covid, the public enquiry still continues. No report has been issued yet to pronounce Premier Dan, ‘Guilty’. So stop your crying old son. If you want to cry about the deaths then yes cry for the deaths all of them including in Aged Care settings that your ScamMOfromMarketings had a duty of care and responsibility to protect from the Covid. ScamMOfromMarketings had no CovidSafe Plan for Aged Care residents and The Royal Commission called him out.
Barrow mate:-Fatty O’Barrell resigned over a bottle of wine. Remember Paddington Bear, The TV….all exited for much less than Gladys. Meanwhile, at a cost of $10million and over a year, 2 little kids are STILL on Christmas Island looking forward to no Christmas as are the thousands of genuine refugees in Oz who are not allowed to work. Oh, Dutts and Morrison have stopped all support for good measure. Merry Christmas to all as Dutts and Hillsong Scumo wallow on the beaches watching their kids open and play with their Christmas presents. See you at church to pray for more torture trendsetters. These Looters are the most corrupt secretive, cruel and unsympathetic govt that has ever existed. Oh and never forget the $11billion cut from over seas aid. Good one fellas. And you Looter women who are supposed to possess motherly love, maternal traits-BAH!…what a disgrace you lot who never say a word and just share in the loot. And the rest of the Ozzzie ‘fair go’ population who sit back and keep voting this slime back in? We are worse than the Looters themselves.Shame, shame and more shame!
Two have ‘resigned’, Barrow. That does show Andrews spoke the truth [I would
have expected better of a medical man] that contact with the security had been
decided upon. In any case, the discussion is in regard to the NSW Premier.
Howard – ‘I was not informed’ is sure enough, Ray. And trying to
make sense of Barrow’s a Brick-wall to nowhere.
As as for the Topic .well of course its more of the
Same conservative bashing !! Okay Stefanie
Could you please go as far back as you desire
And give one example of the Great one Mungo !!
And he right accross everything political as long as its conservative bashing ! Try and debunk that
Stefanie? One Article that Mungo has put forward
Holding labor or the greens to account ?
One time Stefanie? Just once will do …
Yo Barrow, you crying again, this time about the Mungo and his ‘bias’. All you need to do is pick up a daily copy of one of Rupert’s Liberal Party Newsletters, disguised as daily newspapers. You’;ll have a party at the non stop Labor and Greens bashing. If newspapers aren’t your go, then dial up the Sky News, you’ll find yourself right at home with wall to wall Labor and Greens bashings.
If Mungo is such an expert on all things political , why doesn’t he come out from behind his keyboard and stand for Parliament and show our elected Representatives how to do their job properly ? I doesn’t take much to be a keyboard expert , in fact there are no formal qualifications necessary at all . Just sit back , fire up the computer & tell everyone else what they are doing wrong .
Go & play with your golden goose mates who are leaching this land.
I refuse to come down to your level, Barrow. If you want to make
so many half-baked assaults because you think you can say you
are The Man… so be it. If you’ve a problem with Mungo, get off
your backside & let him know what you think of him & why. I am
nobodies-mouth-piece. Have you got that? Good. Now go on
ahead, bashing the progressives with the same swan-song that
goes nowhere & is as boring as hell.
With respect to Howard, easily the best, most professional ‘politician’ in the full sense of the word I have experienced-cunning, sneaky, patient, Machiavellian, a convincing liar-Labor could learn a lot-that is if they ever have wanna get back into govt which, by the way, I dnt think they want!. Morrison has the sniff of Howard. He rates next after Howard whom obviously he has modelled himself on. Howard had this rule. If something nasty is going on DON’T TELL ME ABOUT IT, I DON’T…then I can say “I know nothing of the matter” with some sorta truth about it. So many times Howard used this get outa jail line (“I was not informed”) to slither out of questioning. That said, unlike modern Looting Liberals, I respect Howard for the way he went on 7.30 and other forums to answer the tough question that he was responsible for. Abbott never would, ditto for Scumo and his ‘bubble’.
That really explains it all Stefanie
We are the Progressives and any opinions or views
Opposite well !! You are are to be shutdown
Its happening all over the world cancel culture
That that most certainly includes freedom of speech !!! Inwhich the left have no tolerance for
What so ever !! As for Mungo well is is a living
Treasure if you are of the left of politics
As for Sky, bias as you like, but do call out
So much BS from the left especially with
Political correctness and do hold the coalition to account when needed as they should .. Mungo
Rarely , Well never puts together a Article solely
On the the Greens or Labor and thats his choice
And the Echos which is okay !! But when Sky
Is bias well how dare they , Racist , bigots, misogynists , deniers !! And on it gos and you think
Thats not hypocritical from the Progressives?
Well not according to them .. “do as i say not as i do “
Dung-beetle politics need to be called out just as the Royal Commission has
called the infamous ScoMo out. Time to ‘call the public out’ for having placed
our so-called leader in his ongoing position out – out out, damn spot.’ The sins
of seizure’s Ghost!’ Ain’t we getting close to Rome… Chris, Mungo’s not likely
to dirty his hands in the current game-plan when it’s ‘idiots’ rule’ & the Man [a
real one] named Mungo, has been chucking the liars out for years & hasn’t
been proven wrong – ever – in a career that’s taken him into an age sector
most of us won’t reach (& I’m no spring chicken either). A keyboard expert I
am not, but I have a working brain – an unscrambled one. This brain’s
written over a dozen books so let’s just say that I don’t fool easily.
Stefanie, please do not drag down our Dung-beetle friends into the political shite heap. Our little Beetle friends go about their important work with the utmost ‘Honesty and Integrity’ which is not something that ScamMOfromMarketings and his mob come within a bulls roar of.
The ‘dungs’ have already been harmed, Joachim. They are starting to appear in
my dreams… could be that the horror of the now is getting to them – their play
-grounds & forest & teeny-tiny homes wrecked by ScoMo’s assorted bullies. My
pet Blue Tongued lizard keeps me informed of ‘the other outer-life’ that’s as
difficult for us as it is them. We have a lot in common I reckon.
Message just in… The Senate Estimates Gas-Led Recovery forgot the
‘toxicity of Methane’ that will emit 150 million tones of more Climate
Pollution than the ScoMo government said. Can we ever trust these
egg-heads???
Hi Stefanie, nothing at all “forgotten”, deliberate action in omitting ALL relevant information. But in the end it matters nought as ScamMOfromMarketings told the nation that, “Gas chose itself” and this otehr gem, “You can’t make plastic from wind. You can’t make plastic from solar. You make it with gas. You can make it with hydrogen as well”. Plenty of research has been printed recently that overall, Gas aka Methane is just as destructive for Climate as coal is and then we have damage to land and water as well.
Yes those Humans and cows etc.
Your Methane emmisions are unacceptable !!
We are getting closer to a ‘trumpeting Trump’ every day. Everybody
knows that’s how it goes in this dress rehearsal rag.[L.C.]