Gladys Berejiklian
Gladys Berejiklian (Armenian: Գլեդիս Բերեջիկլյան, romanized: Gledis Berejiklyan; born 22 September 1970) is an Australian businesswoman and former politician who served as the 45th premier of New South Wales and the leader of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2021. Berejiklian currently works as an executive for the telecommunications company Optus.
The Honourable Gladys Berejiklian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 45th Premier of New South Wales Elections: 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 23 January 2017 – 5 October 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | David Hurley Margaret Beazley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | John Barilaro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mike Baird | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Dominic Perrottet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Willoughby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 March 2003 – 30 December 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Collins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tim James | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 September 1970 Manly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Liberal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Coalition | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence(s) | Northbridge, Sydney, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Sydney University of New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Berejiklian became a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly after winning the electoral district of Willoughby in the 2003 state election. She was given the roles of Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations in the second Baird government, and Minister for Transport in the O'Farrell and first Baird governments. She was also the deputy leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party between 2014 and 2017. She assumed the role of premier after Mike Baird's resignation in January 2017. She was re-elected after winning the 2019 state election. In her second term, she led New South Wales's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2021, Berejiklian announced her intention to resign as both premier and member for Willoughby after the start of an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation to determine whether a "breach of public trust" had occurred, over her failure to disclose the secret relationship with Daryl Maguire when relevant to her ministerial duties, and her failure to report potentially corrupt statements Maguire made to her that were recorded in phone calls during the Maguire ICAC investigation. Berejiklian stayed on as premier until a replacement was elected at a party room meeting, held on 5 October 2021. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet succeeded Berejiklian as premier of New South Wales.
In 2023 ICAC findings stated that Berejiklian engaged in "serious corrupt conduct" by refusing to report Maguire's corrupt statements to her, but did not recommend criminal charges against her as ICAC evidence is not admissible in criminal court due to the loss of the right to silence within hearings.
During her time in office, Berejiklian was a popular Premier; indeed, she never recorded a single net negative approval rating in an opinion poll. Indeed, one nationwide poll from 2022 had her ranked as the most trusted Coalition politician in Australia (but was excluded from the 2023 poll on the same issue as she had already left politics). Thus, she is frequently ranked in the upper tier of Australian state Premiers in terms of historical performance rankings.