Berejiklian confronted with key question

Gladys Berejiklian has been confronted in NSW Parliament by claims that her disgraced ex-lover Daryl Maguire had a key to her Sydney home until last month.

One Nation leader Mark Latham said in the upper house on Thursday that Mr Maguire had a key to the premier’s north shore home for many years, and that he “came and went as he liked” as recently as September. 

Labor leader Jodi McKay asked Ms Berejiklian during question time whether the former Wagga Wagga MP had ready access to her home.

Ms McKay accused Ms Berejiklian of “misleading” the public every day since her appearance at the Independent Commission Against Corruption earlier this month, and demanded she resign. 

“Given revelations today that Daryl Maguire had a key and access to your home for several years, including as recently as last month, why did you breach your own ministerial code of conduct by failing to disclose this relationship?” Ms McKay asked. 

“Your claims that the relationship didn’t have ‘sufficient status’ have fallen apart. When will you finally stop deceiving the people of NSW and resign?”

Ms Berejiklian did not directly address the “key” issue but said there had been “a number of false accusations that have been put out there, that there have been untruths, and today is no different”.

“I’ve read and heard things today which are just factually incorrect,” she said.

“I’ve chosen not to respond because there is a process in place and none of us want to be in contempt of the process. 

“Let the integrity agency do its work. I was asked to be there as a witness and a witness only.” 

Ms Berejiklian earlier this month survived dual no-confidence motions in both houses of parliament after revealing at ICAC that she had until recently been in a secret “close personal relationship” with Mr Maguire since 2015.

Mr Maguire is the focus of a corruption investigation by the ICAC and has made a string of damning admissions, included that he was involved in a cash-for-visa scheme, and that he was seeking secret commissions in questionable land deals.

Ms Berejiklian has maintained the relationship was not of sufficient status to tell friends or family, while also saying she was in love with him, wanted to marry him, but was let down.

Labor says the relationship was a conflict of interest and a breach of the NSW ministerial code of conduct.

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