The potential breach involved grant funding promised to community organisations in Maguire's electorate of Wagga Wagga, and whether she failed to report, or encouraged, corrupt conduct by Maguire. ICAC on Friday said the scope of its investigation had widened and includes whether between 20 Berejiklian "engaged in conduct that constituted or involved a breach of public trust by exercising public functions in circumstances where she was in a position of conflict between her public duties and her private interest" as she was in a personal relationship with the then NSW MP Daryl Maguire. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said she had "displayed heroic qualities" as premier, while former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull wrote on Twitter that she was a dedicated reformer who had "led the State bravely and tirelessly through the bushfires and the pandemic".īerejiklian gave evidence at an ICAC hearing 12 months ago, and denied any wrong doing. She will leave parliament as soon as a by-election can take place. NSW leader Barry O'Farrell quit in 2014 after giving evidence in which he forgot to tell the commission he had accepted a gift of a $3,000 bottle of Grange wine.īerejiklian said she had told ministers in her government if they were the subject of an integrity investigation they should stand aside until their name was cleared, but in her case, as premier this wasn't an option. NSW recorded 864 new cases on Friday and 15 deaths, however officials have warned hospitals would face a peak in sick patients throughout October as social restrictions are lifted as the state nears 80 percent vaccination.īerejiklian is the second NSW premier to resign because of an ICAC investigation. In the past week daily infection tallies had begun to fall as the state neared an 70 percent vaccination target and greater freedom of movement is expected to be granted in mid-October. "My resignation as premier could not occur at a worse time, but the timing is completely outside of my control, as the ICAC has chosen to take this action during the most challenging weeks, the most challenging times in the state's history," Berejiklian said.īerejiklian, who became premier in 2017, had fronted the media on an almost daily basis to announce COVID-19 infection rates, deaths and restrictions on businesses, schools and households as the state battles an outbreak of the Delta variant that began in June. That investigation has already heard Berejiklian was once in a secret relationship with a state legislator who is the focus of its corruption investigation. The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said in a statement on its website that it will hold further public hearings as part of its ongoing investigation, Operation Keppel, on Oct. "I state categorically I have always acted with the highest level of integrity" she said at a news conference.
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