Description

Gladys Berejiklian was Australias rockstar premier The first woman elected to lead NSW she steered the state through devastating bushfires drought and a onceinageneration 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 countrys most deeply respected leaders

Journalist Alexandra Smith tells the inside story of the dramatic last weeks of Berejiklians 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 Australias 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