I wonder what these two young women now think,after the release of the Independent Commission Against Corruption report finding Berejiklian engaged inserious corrupt conduct and breached the public trust. Has it put them off going into politics? Maybe,like me,they feel a certain disappointment that the political career of a woman with so many firsts – first woman to be transport minister,treasurer and popularly elected premier – would end this way.
Berejiklian was smart and strategic enough to navigate herself to the top of the Liberal Party and yet,through an almost unfathomable error,lost it all. She did the wrong thing and the community has a right to feel let down and angry at the breach of trust and her failure to uphold the high standards of probity required of political leaders.
The disclosure requirements for members of parliament are essential for the functioning of democracy. Any person in public office must manage conflicts of interest and the public has a right to know about relationships which may impact on a politician’s decision-making.
The issue is not,as Berejiklian said in her evidence to the ICAC,that her personal feelings were “completely separate to what I did in terms of executing my responsibilities”. It was not for her to make that call,but rather disclose that she was in a relationship with another MP and to take action to avoid being involved in decisions where she had a conflict of interest.
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At one level I have no interest in raking over the personal travails of Berejiklian and her relationship with Daryl Maguire. It is impossible not to feel extraordinary sympathy as this very private woman’s life is revealed for all to hear,see and talk about – it must be excruciating. However,it was her failure to disclose that personal relationship,as per the clear requirements of the Ministerial Code of Conduct,that led to the ICAC investigation and its damming findings. So her private life cannot be left out of trying to understand how the former premier could fall so spectacularly.
And this is a story we need to understand. The paucity of female leaders in Australia means we need to learn from the success and flaws of those we have had.