'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.
'That is the ICAC's prerogative. Resigning at this time is against every instinct in my being and something which I do not want to do, I love my job, and serving the community, but I have been given no option following the statement issued.'
'To continue as premier would disrupt the state government during a time when our entire attention should be focused on the challenges confronting NSW.
'I do not want to be a distraction from what should be the focus of the state government during this pandemic, which is the well-being of our citizens.'
Had ICAC waited until all this was over, Ms Berejiklian may have been able to stand aside temporarily until she cleared her name, as Neville Wran did for 74 days in 1983.
Instead, she becomes the third NSW Liberal premier ICAC has brought down after Nick Greiner in 1992 and Barry O’Farrell in 2014 - neither of who were found to have engaged in corrupt activity
Not only has NSW lost an effective leader who led her state through the worst of times, the state will be all the more poorer as she resigns from parliament entirely.
Should Ms Berejiklian be exonerated, this will be a profound injustice not just to her, but to the 8.17million people she served for almost five years as premier.
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