New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has never looked sexier than when she batted down questions from journalists on Wednesday asking about her relationship with disgraced ex-Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire
Monday’s revelations about the surprise existence of Gladys Berijiklian’s sex life was the best ever, wasn’t it?
I know I awoke on Monday morning expecting the usual drudgery of 2020-themed news. Then bam!
Turn that daily Dan Andrews presser off and tune in to the secret phone tapping files of Gladys and her secret lover – disgraced Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.
There’s already a lot to unpack here. Secret phone tapping of the NSW Premier, a love tryst… hang on, Gladys has been knocking off Daryl from Wagga?
Our Gladys has been – as Kyle Sandilands crudely but succinctly put it on his breakfast show – ‘getting some D on the side’?
Gladys you cheeky minx, no one thought you had it in you. Apart from Daryl’s estranged wife who had apparently known for five years.
I challenge any woman not be impressed by Gladys’ handling of the questioning as she sat mortified before the Independent Commission Against Corruption, cringing as the words ‘Numero Uno’ echoed through the chamber in a faux Spanish accent from the prosecution.
Especially with Scott Robertson seeming to enjoy saying it as much as we enjoyed hearing it.
Pictured: Ms Berejiklian with the former MP under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. We’ve all been led astray by a man we’ve loved and trusted too much, Amy Howes writes
She was direct and dignified in the extremely embarrassing public airing of her dirty laundry and her admission afterwards she’d ‘stuffed up’ is exactly the type of response the public need and has so often gone astray in leadership errors (see Scomo lounging in boardies in Hawaii as the country burned and Daniel Andrews most days at 11am since June).
Monday’s hearing has given her a full makeover. Gladys has never looked sexier
Her response is one only a female leader would be capable of – and the result is a newly feminised Gladys.
There has always been something lacking from her public appearances.
Something amiss about her as a single woman in high office. ‘Asexual’, some would say.
But Monday’s hearing has given her a whole new look in the eyes of many. Gladys has never looked sexier.
She’s out there today sassing people left right and centre. ‘No it’s MY turn to speak, you will listen to me’. Yes MA’AM.
Many will have felt solidarity with her on Monday as a woman wounded by yet another disappointing relationship, beating herself up for not having recognised the red flags sooner.
‘I’d known him for 15 years… I trusted him.’
Oh poor Gladys, not you too. Here, I’ll send you my Spotify breakup compilation.
Mr Maguire giving evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday. Many women will have felt solidarity with the NSW premier on Monday as a woman wounded by yet another disappointing relationship
We were all hoping the tapes might be a bit more Clinton-Lewinsky in nature, some filthy words to star out in the transcripts or and image or two to pixelate.
But it is Gladys after all so we’ll settle for ‘Hawkiss’ (Daryl’s Armenian pet name for her) and a bit of coy flirtation.
Gladys is a lady, and as Daryl Maguire discovered as he tried to engage her in discussions of his business dealings, this lady is not for turning.
In fact, sorry Daryl, but you were punching from the beginning.
Ms Berejiklian was direct and dignified in the extremely embarrassing public airing of her dirty laundry. Pictured second from right with Mr Maguire who is seen far right
On further reflection, maybe Gladys realised long ago Daryl was just a pest and she was merely tolerating him politely rather than ghosting him when she lost her feelings.
It certainly sounds a bit like that in the phone tapes.
And if I know Gladys, which I like to pretend I do now after our bonding over the ICAC inquiry, that’s just the kind of respectful handling of a break-up she would display.
Watching his evidence in the hearing today I’m horrified she would have even gone there.
But like any good friend in a relationship crisis, I’m not here to judge.
Ms Berejiklian (far right) pictured with Mr Maguire (far left). The premier has shed her reputation of being a ‘Berejiklian-bot’ with the revelations emerging this week
Her sassy eye roll and response of ‘pft, please’ to a question about whether she and Daryl had had recent contact filled me with pride.
That’s my girl.
Gladys has been a strong guiding force for New South Wales throughout the pandemic this year, making sound decisions for the good of the state and coming through relatively untarnished.
So while I’m happy she’s been getting some on the sly, or maybe she just needed a lockdown ‘ride or die’, which is something we can all relate to and is not just some Berejiklian-bot, I’d hate to think that underneath it all is just another politician with questionable judgement.
Ms Berejiklian addresses the inquiry on Monday. She has been a strong guiding force for NSW throughout the pandemic this year
We’ll have to settle for Daryl calling the premier ‘Hawkiss’ and a bit of coy flirtation in place of anything more Clinton-Lewinsky in nature
Gladys maintains her innocence in the allegations against her.
Namely that her relationship with Mr Maguire was used for influence and that she may have been complicit in the string of corruption allegations to which he has admitted.
These are serious questions to be investigated thoroughly and they must be. But as her new mate, I reckon she’s just made a bit of a poor choice of company.
She’s backing herself firmly and until proven otherwise, so am I.
Daryl Maguire discovered Ms Berejiklian is not for turning as he tried to engage the premier in discussions of his business dealings
We need Gladys more than ever now to finish the job.
She’s just announced 11 new cases of COVID-19 community transmission, saying further restrictions that were due to be eased for businesses have been put on hold.
The last thing anyone needs is dodgy Daryl from Wagga threatening to derail the hard work done by this office now.
We’ve all made bad relationship calls but one thing Gladys has always proven to be is a consummate professional.