Gladys Berejiklian facts for kids
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Gladys Berejiklian
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 45th Premier of New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 23 January 2017 – 5 October 2021 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | David Hurley Margaret Beazley |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Collins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tim James | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 September 1970 Manly, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Political party | Liberal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Residences | Northbridge, Sydney, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Sydney University of New South Wales |
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Gladys Berejiklian (born 22 September 1970) is an Australian businesswoman and former politician. She was the 45th premier of New South Wales from 2017 to 2021. The premier is the leader of the government in a state. She was a member of the Liberal Party.
Before becoming premier, Berejiklian held several important jobs in the government. She was the Treasurer, which means she was in charge of the state's money. She was also the Minister for Transport.
Berejiklian became premier after Mike Baird resigned in 2017. She led her party to win the 2019 state election. A big part of her time as premier was leading the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She resigned as premier in October 2021. This happened after an investigation was announced by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The ICAC is a group that makes sure politicians act honestly. After leaving politics, she began working for the telecommunications company Optus.
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Early life and education
Gladys Berejiklian was born in Sydney, Australia. She was the oldest of three daughters. Her parents, Krikor and Arsha, were Armenian. Her grandparents had to leave their home during the Armenian genocide in 1915.
When she was a child, Berejiklian only spoke the Armenian language. She learned English when she started school at age five. She is still fluent in Armenian and is active in the Armenian-Australian community.
She went to North Ryde High School and was a member of the Girl Guides. For her higher education, she studied at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.
Start of her political career
Berejiklian joined the Liberal Party in 1993. She became the president of the New South Wales Young Liberals from 1997 to 1998. Before entering parliament, she worked for other politicians and at the Commonwealth Bank.
In 2003, she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as the member for Willoughby, a suburb in Sydney. She won the election by a very small number of votes. She held this position until she left politics in 2021.
From 2005, she was given important roles in the "shadow ministry." This is a team of politicians from the party not in power who are ready to become ministers if their party wins an election.
Major government roles
Minister for Transport
When the Liberal Party won the 2011 state election, Berejiklian became the Minister for Transport. In this role, she was in charge of buses, trains, and ferries in New South Wales.
Some of her major projects included:
- Introducing the Opal card, a smartcard for paying for public transport.
- Starting the construction of the Sydney Metro Northwest train line.
- Extending the Inner West Light Rail line.
Treasurer of New South Wales
In 2014, Berejiklian became the Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party. After the 2015 election, she was appointed Treasurer. As Treasurer, she managed the state's budget and economy.
During her time as Treasurer, New South Wales paid off all its debt for the first time in over 20 years. She also managed the sale of parts of the state's electricity network to private companies.
Premier of New South Wales (2017–2021)
In January 2017, Premier Mike Baird resigned. Gladys Berejiklian was chosen to replace him as the leader of the Liberal Party. This made her the 45th Premier of New South Wales. She was the second woman to ever hold this job in the state.
In 2019, she led her party, the Coalition, to victory in the state election. This made her the first woman from a non-Labor party to win a state election as leader in Australia.
Handling the COVID-19 pandemic
A major challenge during her time as premier was the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, a serious outbreak of the Delta variant of the virus began in Sydney.
Her government put lockdowns in place to try to stop the spread. There was some debate about how strict the rules should be and when to start the lockdown. Her government also managed the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines across the state.
Resignation and investigation
In October 2020, Berejiklian told an ICAC inquiry that she had been in a "close personal relationship" with another politician, Daryl Maguire. He had already resigned from parliament because of his own ICAC investigation.
On October 1, 2021, the ICAC announced it would investigate Berejiklian herself. The investigation was to see if she had broken the public's trust during her relationship with Maguire. After this announcement, Berejiklian said she would resign as Premier and as a member of parliament. Dominic Perrottet was elected as the new premier.
In June 2023, the ICAC released its report. It found that Berejiklian had engaged in "serious corrupt conduct." The report said she did not report possible wrongdoing by Maguire. However, the ICAC did not recommend that she face criminal charges. In 2024, a court reviewed and agreed with the ICAC's findings.
Many politicians from her party, including federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, supported her. They said she was a good premier who had been in a difficult personal situation.
Life after politics
After leaving politics, Berejiklian decided to work in the private sector instead of running for federal parliament. In February 2022, she started a new job as a managing director at the telecommunications company Optus.
Personal life
Berejiklian is a supporter of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles NRL team. She regularly attends events for the Armenian Apostolic Church. Since June 2021, she has been in a relationship with Arthur Moses, a lawyer who represented her during the ICAC hearings.
See also
- First Berejiklian ministry
- Second Berejiklian ministry
- List of female heads of government in Australia
- Shadow ministry of Barry O'Farrell
- Armenian National Committee of Australia
- Corruption in Australia
