A corruption investigation into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is set to drag on for several months.
The state’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said in an email to media on Wednesday afternoon that the report concluding the probe would not be done this quarter.
“On the information presently available, the commission anticipates it is more likely to be available for furnishing in the second quarter of 2023,” the update read.
Berejiklian denied suggestions at ICAC hearings that she had breached the public’s trust by failing to report alleged corrupt conduct by an ex-MP while the two were in a secret relationship that lasted for years.
It has been more than 14 months since Berejiklian last gave public evidence to the ICAC, and several years since corruption investigators began looking at the conduct of her secret partner, former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire.
The update from the ICAC revealed it had received submissions as recently as October 18. It said the commissioner hired to oversee the probe, Ruth McColl SC, is “continuing her work” in relation to the report.
“Substantial parts of the report have been drafted,” the statement read. “At the same time, it must be recognised that the report concerns complex matters of law and fact, two public inquiries which proceeded over 30 days, over 2800 pages of transcript, 516 exhibits comprising approximately 10,600 pages and 957 pages of submissions (the last of which were received on October 18 2022).
“It is necessary that the issues relevant to the investigation are addressed carefully. Ms McColl is working to complete a draft of the report as soon as possible but, given these matters, it is not possible to specify a date by which it will be completed.”
Once McColl finishes drafting the report, it would go through a process of editing and review.
The commission said McColl was aware of her obligation under the state’s ICAC law to furnish her report as soon as possible.
It noted several other ongoing investigations, one of which began in 2021 and two from last year, could end up wrapping up around the same time as the Berejiklian probe, known as Operation Keppel.
“The commission will take all available action to ensure there is no delay to the Keppel report caused by any bottleneck that might arise,” it said.
McColl’s tenure over the probe has been extended several times, and for the past few months she has been engaged as a consultant to finish the work.
Anton, It is tiresome to see media reporting ICAC’s apparently sole focus on Berijiklian’s relationship and dealings with Maguire.
Your article is very light on Berijiklian being accused of signing off the majority of hundreds of millions of a community grants fund, and denying that she had done so. Her own State auditor-general found that she had distributed these public funds to strongly favour Liberal seats or marginal seats they sought to win. She felt the need to promote the art of pork barreling as being a fact of political life. So, using public funds for her own party’s advantage is a proper use of those funds, apparently.
Her Chief of staff and one other member of her office were found to have breached the Public Service Act – relating to destroying documents. The shredding machine was overworked.
Allegations of corruption go far beyond the romance with Maguire affecting her judgement, but the media loves talking about her entanglement with Maguire. We deserve better.
And we deserve reports to be finalised by ICAC within a maximum of twelve months – the delay is inexcusable.
Why 12 months? Because that’s how long it takes the earth to move around the sun?
Wouldn’t it be better to allocate as much time as is required to establish the findings robustly?
If submissions were still being made in October, it’s possible that more time is required.
How much more? It might be difficult to say until they are nearer the end.
Might they take too long? That’s a possibility too, for at least two reasons: 1. They get paid more and they might like that. 2. To push the report out past the election date, either to avoid controversy, or to assist a party.
If the management of these contingencies and possibilities has not been codified or anticipated in the ICAC legislation, then guess what, it’s inadequate legislation.
But don’t worry. There are enough good people in the system to make it work. Or, if there aren’t, we probably won’t find out about it, unless people like you stay on top of this, which you are doing, so I’m going to put my phone down, have a swim, then eat dinner with my family.
Your point 2 is the very definition of corruption……………
The NSW ICAC was castrated by “Baby-face” Baird at the behest of a supposed Crown Prosecutor who got caught interfering with the course of justice.
He relished the opportunity as pay-back for their finding of corruption against FIFTEEN Liberal MPs………………..
If ICAC was funded properly, there would be a chance of a reasonable timeframe, currently not going to happen in a hurry.
Baird punished ICAC by slashing its budget.
More than that – he restructured it completely, forcing the then commissioners to re-apply for their jobs and limiting their remit.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-perception-is-that-this-is-corrupt-former-icac-chief-anthony-whealy-blasts-mike-baird-20161116-gsq6lh.html
So the ICAC report won’t be released until after the NSW state election. Does that mean we expect the worst?
It certainly means the Liberal Party expect the worst…………..
Hopefully have the same effect. Holding it back only convinces Joe Public of the stench..
Since we have no findings to the contrary it’s safest to assume that Berejiklian did the wrong thing, and not vote for a party that has continued along the same path. And since Labor is now supporting some of the more heinous policies of the Coalition, one can’t in all conscience vote for them either.
NSW state politics is substantially ***ked.
Plenty of good independent candidates. Bit less of the “either-or” tribalism and a more intelligent state parliament is ahead of us.
I believe it commenced with the Rum rebellion.
You’ve heard of “Constructive Dismissal”?…………………..
Meet “Constructive Corruption”.
Nothing takes that long
Nothing like this should take that long. Of course, inquiries sometimes take far longer, assuming they ever begin. For example, after the Bloody Sunday incident in Northern Ireland on 30th January 1972, when British soldiers shot dead 13 people who were on a civil rights march, one inquiry reported just eleven weeks later. For years after there was pressure for another inquiry from many who thought that report inadequate, or merely a whitewash. In 1998 PM Tony Blair ordered a second inquiry. If anyone thought the first inquiry was rushed they must have been enormously reassured by the second inquiry. It was supposed to report within a year, but it did not even begin open hearings until 2000 and the last witness appeared in December 2004, but the job was far from over. The inquiry finally released its report on 15th June 2010. The cost of the second inquiry was initially estimated as £10 million but the true final cost was £190 million. What good it achieved after all that time and effort is anybody’s guess.
Probably not much, fellow swimmer.
The truth did finally out and that was probably some comfort to the survivors.