![]() In the most recent case, then Premier Barry O’Farrell was forced to quit in 2014, supposedly over a bottle of wine that he received as a gift. ![]() ![]() Berejiklian is the third Liberal premier of NSW to be ousted as a result of its investigations. The agency, which has sweeping powers, has a lengthy history of highly-political interventions. Only now, however, has ICAC named her as a subject of investigation, rather than just a witness. Moreover, as Berejiklian noted, the substance of the allegations against her have been publicly-known for the past 12 months. “My resignation as premier could not happen at a worse time, but the timing is completely outside of my control as the ICAC has chosen to take this action during the most challenging weeks of the most challenging times in the history of NSW,” she said. In her resignation announcement yesterday, Berejiklian pointed to the broader context. Previous claims of “national unity,” based on the assertion that Australian governments had seen off the worst of the pandemic, have given way to bitter recriminations between leaders of the different administrations and factional infighting. The combined pressure of widespread popular opposition to the dangerous reopening drive, and the strident demands of big business for it to proceed immediately, is driving a deepening political crisis, not just of the NSW government, but of its counterparts in other states and the federal Liberal-National Coalition government. NSW is set to begin its phased “reopening” on October 11, with the lifting of lockdown measures. The health systems are in an unprecedented crisis, with the NSW government’s own modelling predicting that its hospitals will be “overwhelmed” by the end of the month as COVID admissions exceed maximum capacity.Īt the same time, there is an incessant clamour from the corporate and financial elite for the immediate lifting of the inadequate COVID restrictions in place, and frustration with the state governments over their pace in implementing this profit-driven program. There is mass anger in the working class over the failure of governments, including Berejiklian’s, to institute the safety measures necessary to contain the pandemic. Whatever the precise identity of those involved in Berejiklian’s ouster and their motives, the timing of her forced resignation makes clear that it is connected to broader political issues.Īustralia is in the midst of its worst outbreak of the coronavirus since the pandemic began, with infections centred in NSW and Victoria, the country’s largest states. Yesterday afternoon Gladys Berejiklian announced her sudden resignation as premier of New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state, after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) informed her it would be issuing a public statement naming her as a subject of investigation.Īs is always the case in capitalist politics, such corruption scandals and allegations of personal misconduct are brought to the surface to further unstated political agendas.
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