The NSW premier has refused to criticise Gladys Berejiklian’s conduct despite a scathing ICAC report which found she engaged in serious corruption.
NSW Premier Chris Minns is refusing to say whether he agrees with the state’s corruption watchdog that Gladys Berejiklian acted corruptly, as the powerful official charged with overseeing the Independent Commission Against Corruption launched a probe into why it took so long for the damning report to be released.
Asked by reporters whether he also accepted the ICAC’s finding that Berejiklian acted corruptly, the Labor premier said: “I’m not prepared to make that claim.”“I’m not going to comment about specific recommendations or inquiries just as I wouldn’t in the normal course of events comment about Supreme Court judgments. I would just say that it’s open to the people who’ve been adversely named to pursue their own legal action,” he said.
Asked whether he thought Berejiklian should offer the state an apology he said: “No, I’m not calling for that”.“It’s not for me to pass judgment about findings made by independent organisations or investigatory bodies like the ICAC ... what I would say and what I said about premier Berejiklian yesterday is that I thought her service to the state during COVID was exemplary,” he said.
The ICAC has been subject to sustained criticism over the lengthy delay in handing down its report, and on Friday the Inspector charged with overseeing the anti-corruption watchdog, Gail Furness, SC, revealed she would conduct an investigation into why it took so long. The recommendations mostly relate to increased training for MPs and their staff to identify conflicts of interest and improved codes of conduct. Minns said he believed those changes were a good idea and were likely to be accepted.
On Friday federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton defended Berejiklian, saying she is “not a corrupt person”, and similarly placed blame solely on Maguire.
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