Daryl Maguire icac and Gladys Berejiklian, affair married wife partner husband news
Who is Maguire?
The one who has been with
Gladys Berejiklian for five years
The man who, in 2018, had a "close personal relationship" with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigned from Parliament in disgrace.
At a corruption inquiry today, Ms Berejiklian confirmed that she had been with Daryl Maguire since 2015 until a few months ago.
For nearly 20 years, the former Liberal politician was Wagga Wagga's local member in southern NSW before resigning in 2018.
He resigned after admitting to a separate Independent Commission Against Corruption Inquiry (ICAC) that he was seeking payment for a property deal.
Born in Hay in the southwest of the province, Mr Maguire worked at Harvey Norman store in Wagga Wagga before entering into politics in 1999.
He spent much of his time as a backbencher and prolific at group gatherings and voters' announcements.
Mr Maguire's most significant appointment in 2011-2014 was as a government whip in the government of Barry O'Farrell, but his role as chairman of the NSW Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group came under the most scrutiny at the ICAC investigation into his current conduct.
To date, the inquiry has heard numerous accounts of trips Mr Maguire took to China and countries in the South Pacific region, sometimes bringing with him his Wagga Wagga workers and relatives.
Witnesses told how they paid for their flights to China, but they covered other expenses and went because they wanted to foster potential business relationships.
South Pacific trips were said to involve connecting a Chinese business group with governments, sometimes signing Memoranda of Understanding, for which Mr Maguire was paid a cash fee to organize.
The Premier ordered Mr. Maguire to resign from the Liberal Party and then politics in 2018 after the property fiasco, but Ms. Berejiklian said today she kept her friendship with him until August this year.
Ms Berejiklian isn't the only one left next to the retired politician following the debacle that pulled him out of politics.
His former communications officer and close associate, Sarah Vasey, told the commission last week that they managed to go to each other's house for dinner until around a month ago.
That was despite Ms Vasey's revelation that her former employer had asked her to keep a USB with a backup of data from her mobile devices in her handbag for 'safekeeping,' something that made her 'panic' as it became apparent that a search warrant was in Wagga Wagga.
When asked by the commission what the essence of their relationship was, Ms Vasey replied: "Oh, I'm here. That's a little changed our relationship."
Louise Waterhouse, a Sydney landowner, spoke to someone who only wanted to be "helpful" as she offered testimony to her relations with Mr Maguire, telling the commission she only figured his efforts to help her with road access and zoning improvements on her property were because he was only trying to be a friend.
Ms Waterhouse said she was surprised to read the 2018 corruption investigation news.
The inquiry also learned how Mr Maguire played a crucial role in persuading many Riverina businessmen to engage in a visa cash program, where they would recruit Chinese people who never showed up for work.
Several witnesses provided testimony that the families of the Chinese citizen would pay a huge amount of money to migration agent Maggie Wang, who would arrange a visa for Mr. Maguire and the businessman to take part.
Ms Wang said Mr Maguire 's job was critical, since the toughest thing was getting the businessman to get involved.
Daryl Maguire still has a Wagga Wagga residence, but it's not obvious where he's based.
At least a few witnesses pointed to a property in Ivanhoe, far west of the state, where they said they thought he'd spent some time.
Gladys Won’t Resign
Summary Update, October 13, 2020 - 7.02am
NSW Politics LIVE updates: after 'close, intimate friendship' with Daryl Maguire revealed at ICAC hearing, Gladys Berejiklian stands firm as Premier.
- Gladys Berejiklian claims she won't resign when her MPs mobilize around her revelations that she was in "near intimate relationship" with disgraced ex MP Daryl Maguire.
- The relationship between the two was exposed on Monday when the Premier gave proof of claims that Mr Maguire misused his public office in service of his own financial interests by brokering land deals in western Sydney.
- The inquiry heard recorded phone calls between Ms. Berejiklian and Mr. Maguire, often having to turn their hearing to private due to the complexities of interactions. The Premier called Mr Maguire her "numero uno" and, probably hearing specifics of one of Mr Maguire's future purchases, said: "I don't have to know."
- NSW Labor urged the Premier to resign. On Q&A last night, Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese was a lighter touch, refusing to accept the call of the state party but instead saying "there are real problems around the government and what she knew."
- On Tuesday, the ICAC will hear more testimony from Maggie Wang, Mr. Maguire's associate who ran an immigration service whose silent chief was the former MP.