The simple but VERY personal questions Gladys Berejiklian’s lawyer asked Daryl Maguire at ICAC

Gladys Berejiklian’s gun for hire at the Independent Commission Against Corruption finally got the chance to go after the ousted premier’s secret former lover.

The bombshell ICAC hearing, in part, is investigating if the NSW leader engaged in conduct ‘liable to allow or encourage the occurrence of corrupt conduct’ by her then-boyfriend Daryl Maguire.

Earlier the Commission heard evidence that the former Liberal Party MP for Wagga Wagga contemplated marriage and discussed having a baby with Ms Berejiklian.

But Barrister Sophie Callan SC tried to poke holes in the Mr Maguire’s evidence with three simple and deeply personal questions.

The hotshot silk, known for bringing down Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald at a separate ICAC inquiry, put it to Mr Maguire that ‘you never met any member of Ms Berejiklian’s family?’

‘No,’ Mr Maguire replied.

‘She was not introduced to your family, for instance, as Daryl’s girlfriend?’

‘No, not officially. I did know them (from political functions),’ Mr Maguire replied.

‘[You] did not celebrate any form of anniversary date?’

‘No,’ Mr Maguire replied.

Mr Maguire at the hearing confirmed he ‘encouraged’ Ms Berejiklian ‘to take a close interest’ in the two multi-million dollar grants that are at the centre of the corruption investigation, and that ‘from time to time’ she informed him about what she knew about these applications.

But Ms Berejiklian’s legal eagle inferred that Mr Maguire also lobbied other ministers about projects of importance to him, not just Ms Berejiklian.

‘My access to ministers was open door,’ Mr Maguire said. ‘I would have harangued every minister, too right I would.’

He added that he could ‘always walk in and see premier Berejiklian,’ and that he also did that with former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell but that it was harder with Mike Baird, another former Liberal premier. 

Ms Callan asked Mr Maguire if he was using his close personal relationship with Ms Berejiklian to lobby on behalf of Wagga Wagga. 

He said he and the then-premier tried to keep their personal and professional relationships separate, but ‘I would have given her a hard time on certain things, I wouldn’t have cut her any slack’.

Daryl Maguire (pictured, left) gave evidence at a corruption inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian (right) 

On Monday, the ex-premier’s attack dog made headlines when she garnered a stunned response from former deputy premier John Barilaro with an unexpected and highly personal question at ICAC.

Mr Barilaro said in evidence that Ms Berejiklian should have disclosed her secret relationship with Mr Maguire. 

Ms Callan sought to turn the tables on Mr Barilaro, asking if he had disclosed relationships of his own.

Mr Barilaro said he ‘would have’ disclosed any relationships, including family links.

‘What about any other intimate personal relationships?’ Ms Callan asked.

‘That’s a hard question because my relationships are with my family,’ Mr Barilaro replied.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Barilaro has done anything improper in his personal or professional life.    

With Gladys Berejiklian set to take stand herself on Friday, ICAC heard a tapped phone call played as evidence where she told Mr Maguire: ‘I’ll throw money at Wagga, don’t you worry about that’.

Ms Berejiklian was referring to her plans for the Wagga Wagga by-election, which was caused by Mr Maguire resigning after his evidence at an earlier corruption inquiry. 

‘Just throw money at Wagga,’ Mr Maguire said in the intercepted call.

‘I’ll throw money at Wagga, don’t you worry about that,’ Ms Berejiklian replied. 

Mr Maguire mentioned the ‘top three things’ he wanted for the constituency and suggested one project was being blocked by bureaucrats.

Ms Berejiklian said ‘don’t worry; I can overrule them’. 

‘Give them a f**king stadium,’ Mr Maguire advised the then-premier on the tapped phone conversation. 

ICAC Assistant Commissioner Ruth McColl SC, who is presiding over the inquiry, asked Mr Maguire about Ms Berejiklian’s reference to overruling bureaucrats.

‘She (Ms Berejiklian) had the power to make money flow to the electorate?’ Ms McColl asked Mr Maguire. 

‘Yes, that’s correct,’ he replied. 

Ms Berejilklian has denied any wrongdoing. 

Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian will appear before the ICAC inquiry into her on Friday