NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s ex lover has made sensational new claims to the corruption watchdog that the couple’s secret love affair began up to seven years ago in 2013.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s ex lover has made sensational new claims to the corruption watchdog that the couple’s secret love affair began up to seven years ago in 2013.
The new timeline is substantially earlier than Ms Berejiklian claimed when she gave evidence to the ICAC on Monday when she suggested it began in 2015. She also noted the pair had been friends for years.
The corruption watchdog took the evidence during a private hearing but has agreed tonight that the information on the relationship timeline is in the public interest and should be released.
It follows the inadvertent publication of the transcript on the website on Thursday night which triggered an apology to Ms Berejiklian.
The ICAC transcript
The transcript is as follows:
MR ROBERTSON: Mr Maguire, what Id like you to reflect on is an answer that you gave to a question that 1 asked you in the public session, the public inquiry, namely, whether the close personal relationship that you had with Ms Berejiklian in fact started in 2015 or 2016 or whether it in fact at least started at some earlier point in time. Now, I accept that these are the kind of things that develop over time. But what I want you to reflect on or what Id like you to reflect on is whether its at least possible that a close personal relationship, a close emotional attachment and close relationship between you and Ms Berejiklian may in fact have been on foot at some time prior to 2015.
MR MAGUIRE: Yes.
MR ROBERTSON: And so doing the best you can, when do you think the relationship developed into something that could be fairly described as a close personal relationship as distinct from a friendship?
MR MAGUIRE: Oh, I don’t know that I could put a date on it. We, we were always good friends and slowly over time the, the relationship developed. I, I couldnt tell you when it started.
MR ROBERTSON: Im not suggesting for a moment that theres some magic date—-?Yes.
that you can identify, but would it be fair to say that you were in a close personal relationship with Ms Berejiklian in calendar year 2014?
MR MAGUIRE: Yes.
MR ROBERTSON: What about 2013?
MR MAGUIRE: Yes.
During the private hearing, Mr Roberston notes that his public evidence is in conflict with his private evidence in terms of the timeframe. But would it be fair to say that you were in a close personal relationship with Ms Berejiklian in calendar year 2014? And you say, Yes. Do you see that there?
MR MAGUIRE: Yes.
MR ROBERSTON: What about 2013? You say, Yes. Do you see that there?
Now, obviously thats from your perspective. From your perspective the relationship was a close personal relationship on those two dates that you there identify. So is it right that at least from your perspective, you were in a close personal relationship with Ms Berejiklian in calendar year 2014, is that right?
MR MAGUIRE: I originally said 15 and I lean towards 15 still, or late 14. That was, thats my recollection, somewhere there.
– Samantha Maiden