Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire (Images: AAP)

Former MP Daryl Maguire was a person who “had the ear” of Gladys Berejiklian while she was premier of New South Wales, a corruption inquiry heard this morning. 

Department of Regional NSW secretary Gary Barnes told ICAC that when he commenced his job he was surprised to learn about the apparent power and access of Maguire, then a backbencher and the member for Wagga Wagga. 

The senior bureaucrat agreed with counsel assisting ICAC Scott Robertson that he had asked around the staffers in the offices of Berejiklian and then-deputy premier John Barilaro to ascertain “the lay of the land” in regards to Maguire. 

He said he was told that “Daryl was regarded by the premier as a person who understood the bush as a Liberal Party member and that he had the ear of the premier”.

ICAC is investigating the circumstances under which a total of $35.5 million was advanced to two projects in Maguire’s electorate at a time when he was in an undisclosed relationship with Berejiklian.

Barnes, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, is being asked about a $5.5 million grant to the Australian Clay Target Association, a gun club in Maguire’s electorate with 1400 members.

He agreed that it was “atypical” that a project of this small size had generated such a high level of interest from the premier and deputy premier’s offices, which had asked for regular updates. He said that he understood “there was a particular interest in the project”.

“Did the deputy premier himself have an interest in the project?” Robertson asked.

“Not particularly,” Barnes replied. 

ICAC has heard that the gun club grant was approved by cabinet’s powerful expenditure review committee in December 2016, at a time when Berejiklian was still NSW treasurer.

Barnes agreed that it was unusual for a project of that size to go to the committee but that he understood that it had a “particular imprimatur from the premier herself”. 

Maguire resigned from NSW Parliament in August 2018 after admitting at a separate ICAC inquiry that he had sought payment over a property deal. He will give evidence to this inquiry tomorrow.

Berejiklian resigned as premier on October 1. She has denied all wrongdoing and will commence giving evidence on Friday.