Australian State Premier Holds Firm After Disclosing Lawmaker Relationship

(Bloomberg) -- New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian acknowledged she’d made mistakes in her personal life but said she will continue in her role after disclosing a years-long relationship with a former lawmaker who’s now under investigation for graft.

Berejiklian, who’s led Australia’s most populous state since January 2017, told reporters Monday she remained committed to serving the public, and it was possible to separate private life and public office.

The relationship came to light at a corruption inquiry into the premier’s ex-colleague Daryl Maguire. Giving testimony, she admitted to “a close personal relationship” with him from 2015 until at least mid-2018, and an “association” with Maguire even after he resigned from parliament that year.

The revelations risk tarnishing Berejiklian’s political brand -- built around conservative family values and steady leadership after she took the helm as the hand-picked successor to Mike Baird.

“I’m human, I stuffed up,” Berejiklian told reporters. “I feel I’ve really let myself down.”

Senior state government figures, including Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, rallied behind her on Monday. Standing beside her in the news conference, Perrottet said she was a “person of high integrity, honesty, and somebody who puts the people of New South Wales first.” He paid tribute to her leadership, particularly in tackling the Covid-19 outbreak and the deadly bushfires earlier this year.

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