Alexandra Smith

Published by Pan Macmillan Australia 2022

RRP $36.99

In the dying days of his term as Prime Minister, as part of his strategy to avoid legislating for an effective federal integrity body, Morrison relentlessly attacked the New South Wales Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) for its treatment of Glady Berejiklian. Morrison even described ICAC as a kangaroo court and made clear that he thought ICAC’s investigation into Berejiklian was grossly unfair and totally unwarranted. 

In The Secret, Smith objectively and carefully examines how it was that ICAC came to inquire into Berejiklian’s conduct, an inquiry which ultimately led to her resignation.

Smith is the state political editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and has won the Walkley Award. She makes regular comment on ABC TV and radio and is the president of the NSW Press Gallery. Her knowledge of NSW state politics will be obvious to the reader as will be her skill as a communicator. The book is well written in a clear and easy to understand journalistic style.

It is a mystery to many people how it was that the career of such a popular and highly experienced politician such as Berejiklian came crashing down so suddenly. This book provides the answers and also gives the reader insights into the character of Berejiklian and clues as to some character flaws which contributed to her downfall.

The book cover says:

“….. for all of her premiership, and well before, Berejiklian was harbouring a secret that she kept from her friends, family, colleagues and constituents. The secret-revealed during ICAC proceedings in 2020-would eventually bring down one of the country’s most deeply respected leaders.

Journalist Alexandra Smith tells the inside story of the dramatic last weeks of Berejiklian’s premiership and examines the political decisions and personal sacrifices that characterised her early days in public life, her rise to the top and her eventual downfall.”

Gladys Berejiklian grew up in suburban Sydney in a close and loving family. Her parents were Armenian immigrants, and the Armenian community was an important part of her life. She was always very protective of her family and private life which might help to explain her failure to make public her intimate relationship with Liberal backbencher Daryl Maguire, known to many as Dodgy Daryl.

As with many children from immigrant families, Berejiklian was expected to work hard and do well at school and she certainly did all that was expected of her by topping her classes and becoming school captain of her high school. 

The book then examines the beginnings of her political rise through the ranks of the Young Liberals to become president, a well-worn path to a political career, as the Member for Willoughby. Other former young Liberal presidents included John Howard, Philip Ruddock, Joe Hockey, and Dominic Perrottet. 

Berejiklian’s big opportunity came when she was handed the often-difficult portfolio of Transport by then Premier Barry O’Farrell in 2011, a role she embraced enthusiastically. She seems to have earned the admiration of her colleagues when, despite having the numbers, she did not seek the Liberal Party leadership to permit Mike Baird to be elected unopposed after the demise of O’Farrell. Ironically it was also ICAC that saw the end of O’Farrell’s premiership after a slip of memory concerning the receipt of a $3,000 bottle of 1959 Penfolds Grange.

One interesting fact to emerge from the book is the important role that she played in supporting the Yes vote for same sex marriage, apparently becoming somewhat of a gay icon for her stand.

Berejiklian’s popularity soared with her handling of the devastating bushfires and the covid pandemic and the fact that she was perceived as a person of integrity. 

Her troubles began with her evidence to ICAC which revealed details of her long running and secret relationship with Dodgy Daryl, evidence which came as a shock to even her closest colleagues. However, that evidence was given as part of the inquiry into Maguire’s conduct, and it seems that Berejiklian was hopeful that there would not then be an ICAC inquiry into her own conduct. When it became clear that ICAC was going to examine her own conduct Berejiklian had no option but to resign.

Despite her reputation as an honest politician Berejiklian’s evidence before ICAC showed that she had a few blind spots in the integrity area. She was unable to concede that there was any conflict-of-interest issue in relation to the non-disclosure of her relationship with Maguire, despite the fact that she was involved in making decisions which might benefit him politically. She denied that she had any suspicions about Maguire being involved in any dodgy dealings, and she maintained that there was nothing at all improper about the use of taxpayer funds for what is known as ‘pork barrelling.’

While this is a great book for those with an interest in NSW politics, it is much more a fascinating insight into aspects of human nature and human foibles. It also demonstrates the importance to our political system of a fearlessly independent body such as ICAC.

I recommend it highly.

John Watts

Retired Barrister, Gloucester resident, and author of ‘Nine Lives for Our Planet’. John is also the president of the Gloucester Environment Group