NSW election: Gladys Berejiklian absent from Dominic Perrottet campaign despite ... trends now
While she might be considered a near saint within Liberal circles, Gladys Berejiklian largely withheld her miraculous popular touch from Dominic Perrottet during his electoral hour of need.
Ms Berejiklian, who quit politics under a corruption cloud over her links to ex-boyfriend Daryl Maguire in 2021 but remained admired over her handling of the Covid pandemic, was a notable absentee from much of the NSW election campaign.
She was considered so popular that retiring Health Minister Brad Hazzard likened her to Catholic saint Mother Teresa on Saturday night, saying she was too hard an act to follow for Mr Perrottet, who led the Liberals to an electoral thumping after 12 years in power.
Ms Berejklian, who now works as an executive for telco giant Optus, noticeably skipped her old party's campaign launch and all other election events.
Her sole appearance during the campaign was posing for a photo with former NSW deputy premier Stuart Ayres and his wife federal Liberal Senator Marise Payne on March 15 after the trio had dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian was a notable absentee during the NSW election campaign
Mr Ayres, who took the fall for the scandal surrounding former Nationals leader John Barilaro claiming a plumb trade posting in New York, posted the photo to social media.
Despite his close friendship with Ms Berejiklian, the happy snap wasn't enough for him to hold his marginal Sydney seat of Penrith, which was claimed by Labor on Saturday night.
Paradoxically, the photo only served to highlight the awkward relationship between Mr Perrottet and Ms Berejiklian with the media asking the now former premier on March 16 if he was miffed his predecessor seemed to be keeping her distance from him.
'Not at all,' Mr Perrottet snapped.
'It's great to have Glad as part of the campaign and as I said yesterday she was a great premier of NSW and to see her campaigning in Penrith I know will make a real difference.'
When asked if he would like Ms Berejiklian campaign with him in his own Sydney seat of Epping, Mr Perrottet
