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Gladys Berejiklian was back for the Liberals this week.

Her emergence in the NSW election campaign may have been low key, but it certainly attracted attention, which could both help and hinder Dominic Perrottet.

The former premier was in Penrith to help the former minister Stuart Ayres.

He resigned from cabinet at the height of the John Barilaro overseas trade post scandal, and is now attempting to stave off Labor in his marginal seat.

Read more of our coverage at the ABC's NSW Election 2023 page.

If he wins and the Coalition is re-elected, he will be returned to the ministry.

The Penrith MP posted a selfie with Ms Berejiklian and his partner, Liberal Senator Marise Payne, outside a Chinese restaurant this week.

The trio go back a long way, and, Mr Ayres'decision to document his visit from the party's former leader was undoubtedly a considered one.

He knows the power of Gladys.

Some within her party refer to it as the "rockstar" effect.

Even though she resigned from the top job under a corruption cloud, and the watchdog is yet to hand down its findings, Ms Berejiklian attracts support like almost no other Liberal.

It was her first sighting during the campaign, just days after her noticeable absence from the party's official launch.

And, she wasn't the only leader, past or present, missing.

Other former premiers Mike Baird and Barry O'Farrell who is now Australia's High Commissioner to India were absent.

The party's federal leader Peter Dutton wasn't there, nor were former prime ministers Scott Morrison, Tony Abbott or Malcolm Turnbull, despite NSW being their home state.

Former prime minister John Howard was there, and got the welcome from Liberal Party members you'd expect pure excitement and adulation.

So, Ms Berejiklian suddenly showing up on the hustings was a surprise.

When asked, her successor was welcoming of her involvement.

"It's great to have Glad as part of the campaign," Mr Perrottet said.

"She was a great premier of New South Wales and to see her campaigning in Penrith I know will make a real difference."

But when pressed on her continued role in the campaign, and, whether he'd like to have her join him in his seat in Epping, the premier became flustered.

"If Gladys came to Epping that would say something," he said trying to laugh it off, referring to the fact that, unlike Penrith, his seat isn't marginal.

It was a slightly awkward moment.

He went on to say Ms Berejiklian had been a "great supporter of mine" and that they grew "close" during the pandemic.

But privately, it is known that their professional relationship (or friendship, if there ever was one) has not continued after her resignation.

Mr Perrottet was clearly uncomfortable talking about his predecessor publicly.

During a televised debate the day before, the Premier and Labor leader Chris Minns were both asked whether they thought Ms Berejiklian had been treated unfairly by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

There was no pause for thought. Both leaders emphatically answered: "No".

The Premier's stance is certainly different to some other Liberals and is in stark contrast to Mr Morrison's.

In 2021, the then-prime minister declared Ms Berejiklian had been "done over" by the state's corruption watchdog.

"What was done to Gladys Berejiklian, the people in New South Wales know was an absolute disgrace," Mr Morrison said at the time.

Back then, he was arguing against a push for a federal ICAC.

He also wanted the former premier to run in the federal seat of Warringah, on Sydney's northern beaches, to try to take it back from independent Zali Steggall.

Ms Berejiklian chose not to be the candidate, and, she is still waiting for the corruption watchdog to hand down its findings, maintaining she's done nothing wrong.

It's been two-and-a-half years since the bombshell revelation at ICAC she was in a secret relationship with the former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, who was under investigation for corruption.

And, it's been almost 18 months since Ms Berejiklian resigned as premier when ICAC announced it was also investigating her conduct over failing to disclose the relationship and the ramifications of that fact.

So, voters are going to the polls not knowing the outcome.

Mr Perrottet has always been steadfast in his support of the state's corruption watchdog.

It's also politically smart at this point.

He can't afford to ignite thedebate over integrity and corruption that played out during last year's federal campaignwhen there are "teal" independents challenging Liberals in Sydney's north.

Ms Berejiklian is set to pop up in at least one of those seats, in an unofficial capacity, before people head to the polls next Saturday.

The question is: will voters bask in her glow, or, does she cast a shadow?

It also draws inevitable comparisons between Ms Berejiklian as premier and Mr Perrottet, and it is indisputable that, at her height, she enjoyed far more popularity than the current leader.

For some voters, Ms Berejiklian may have the star power, but she is no longer the star of the show, and her presence isn't without its problems.

And, a problem-free campaign is key, one week out from polling day.

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Gladys Berejiklian's star power could be Liberals' NSW election trump card - ABC News