The Secret

Description

Gladys Berejiklian was Australia's rockstar premier. The first woman elected to lead NSW, she steered the state through devastating bushfires, drought and a once-in-a-generation pandemic with a steady hand. To many, she was 'The Woman Who Saved Australia' for the way in which she navigated the first wave of COVID, with a sterling reputation as a dedicated and reliable public servant. But for all of her premiership, and well before, Berejiklian was harbouring a secret that she kept from her friends, family, colleagues and constituents. That secret - revealed during ICAC proceedings in 2020 - would eventually bring down one of the country's most deeply respected leaders. Journalist Alexandra Smith tells the inside story of the dramatic last weeks of Berejiklian's premiership and examines the political decisions and personal sacrifices that characterised her early days in public life, her rise to the top and her eventual downfall. The Secret is an unputdownable account of a story that captured Australia's attention, and a vital investigation of how the toxic power and gender dynamics of politics can shape ambition - and end careers. LONGLISTED FOR THE WALKLEY BOOK AWARD 2022

Alexandra Smith is the state political editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and has covered four state elections and several federal elections. She is an award-winning journalist, including a Walkley Award. She has worked for the Guardian in London, and is a regular political commentator on ABC radio and TV. She is also the president of the NSW Press Gallery.