The NSW ICAC has completed public hearings in its inquiry into alleged corruption by NSW MPs. 

After 11 days of public hearings in Operation Keppel, the inquiry into  former NSW Liberal MP Daryl Maguire and former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. 

The inquiry is testing allegations that Ms Berejiklian breached the public trust by exercising her public functions in circumstances where she was in a position of conflict between her public duties and her private life.

It focused on two grants for projects in the seat of Wagga Wagga, which were made when Berejiklian was either treasurer or premier, granting money for projects in a seat held by Mr Maguire, with whom she was in a close personal relationship.

In the sessions, Ms Berejiklian insisted she did not believe her secret relationship with Mr Maguire constituted a conflict of interest that needed to be disclosed to her ministerial colleagues.

The ICAC will now engage in a closed-door process in which lawyers for the parties will file confidential written submissions relating to the watchdog’s potential findings.

Those submissions are taken into consideration before ICAC finalises its report, in which it may make findings of corrupt conduct against named individuals. 

For serious matters, it may also recommend the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions consider criminal charges.

Ms Berejiklian claimed she could not recall, or was not aware of, a long string of matters relating to the funding of various projects. 

Among the claims, she spoke plainly of directing tens of millions of dollars to Wagga Wagga for political gain, saying; “I don’t think it would be a surprise to anybody that we throw money at seats to keep them”. 

Geoffrey Watson, SC, a former counsel assisting ICAC, slammed the cavalier lack of regard.

“Let’s drop this expression ‘pork barrelling’, let’s call it what it really is: misuse of public money,” he told the ABC. 

“It’s just wrong. I just don’t understand why we excuse this conduct. The whole idea of ‘pork-barrelling, it’s OK because everyone does it’, that would soon lead to the most appalling conduct. You just slide to the lowest denominator.”

When played a 52-minute phone call in which Mr Maguire told Ms Berejiklian of his own ICAC summons, Mr Maguire referenced property developers and "making introductions".

He also warned her to get a “private phone”. 

Ms Berejiklian insisted she had no knowledge of his dealings or understanding of what he meant by telling her to use encrypted messaging apps. Her claims are covered here.

With the ICAC now into the closed part of proceedings, more details will emerge when its final report is issued. 

The ICAC does not have the best track record when it comes to promptness. The ICAC has yet to issue its report from a 2019 inquiry into political fundraising by the NSW Labor Party.