Gladys Berejiklian’s new job with telco giant Optus is off to a less than perfect start as it emerges she will likely be banned from lobbying her former NSW government colleagues.
The former state premier was appointed to the newly created Optus role of managing director, enterprise, business and institutional, two weeks ago.
Ms Berejiklian resigned as premier last October when it emerged she was under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
ICAC is investigating whether she breached the public trust as premier when allocating grant money while she was in an undisclosed relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.
The corruption watchdog could release its report into the matter as soon as next week.
Gladys Berejiklian (pictured) is still awaiting the outcome of an ICAC investigation into her
One of the reasons she was hired by Optus is to help it to get more government contracts – last year Telstra won $100 million of NSW state government tenders, compared with the $11.2 million received by Optus.
But the Australian Financial Review reported that she will not now be allowed to contact ministers who formerly served under her due to the NSW Ministerial Code of Conduct, which was integrated into the ICAC Act in 2014.
The code of conduct says former NSW ministers must consult the state parliament’s ethics adviser John Evans if, within 18 months of leaving office, they take a private sector role related to their duties over the previous two years.
As premier, Ms Berejiklian had a say in all portfolios within the state government.
Daily Mail Australia attempted to contact Mr Evans to clarify the situation but was unable to speak with him.
Ms Berejiklian would, however, be allowed to help Optus lobby for federal government work, where there is also much room for improvement, the AFR said.
In 2021, Telstra got 571 federal government contracts, while Optus got 85.
Telstra boss Andy Penn is prepared for a battle in any bids for government contracts.
‘We have a very strong government and enterprise business – we just signed a major contract with the Defence Department – and have done a lot of work with the education departments across all the states,’ he told the Australian Financial Review.
The work, one of 2500 contracts Telstra has won with Defence since 2004, is worth more than $1billion.
On Monday, October 12, 2020, Ms Berejiklian told an ICAC inquiry into former Liberal MP for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire that she had been in a secret ‘close personal relationship’ with him for years.
It seemed that no one beyond the couple knew about the clandestine affair.
No one but the ICAC investigators, who were tapping Mr Maguire’s phone calls.
One of those recordings entered into evidence on the same day Ms Berejiklian admitted her relationship with Mr Maguire featured the pair discussing a business deal.
‘I don’t need to know about that bit,’ the then premier of NSW said to her then partner.
It was revealed by ICAC last October that Ms Berejiklian and Mr Maguire had discussed getting married and having a child together.
An extraordinary tapped phone call was tendered into evidence of Ms Berejiklian telling Mr Maguire ‘I’ll throw money at Wagga, don’t you worry about that’.
Ms Berejiklian was referring to her plans for the Wagga Wagga by-election, which was caused by Mr Maguire resigning after his evidence at an earlier corruption inquiry.
Gladys Berejiklian (pictured centre) and Daryl Maguire (left) had discussed getting married and having a child together
Former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian arrives at ICAC on October 29, 2021 in Sydney
Her choice of words was unfortunate. ‘Don’t you worry about that’ was a favourite phrase of one of Australia’s most controversial politicians, the late Queensland premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
He used it when he wanted to stop journalists asking tough questions.
It has been almost four months since Ms Berejiklian was in the witness box at the ICAC public hearings into her, and the watchdog could release its report into the matter as soon as next week.
If if argues the former premier breached the public’s trust, her job with Optus could become one of the shortest corporate executive gigs Australia has ever seen.
Daily Mail Australia approached Optus for comment.
Gladys Berejiklian was appointed to the newly created Optus role of managing director, enterprise, business and institutional in February 2022. Pictured is an Optus shop
