Mike Baird quits as NSW Premier
AUSTRALIA: NSW Premier Mike Baird has cited family pressures, the need to ‘‘refresh’’ the government for the next election and his record of economic, infrastructure and other achievements in explaining his shock exit from politics.
Baird announced his imminent retirement yesterday morning just months short of his 10-year anniversary in the NSW Parliament in March, three years as Premier in April and two years out from the next state election.
‘‘It’s time for us to refresh, to reset our goals towards the 2019 election,’’ he said.
‘‘And as I’ve reflected on this refresh, with a lot of deliberation with those I love the most and my dear friends, it has become clear to me that this refresh won’t include me.’’
‘‘I strongly believe now is the time to hand over to a new Premier to ensure that the focus on 2019 and beyond continues to set the agenda,’’ he said.
The NSW Liberal partyroom is set to meet next week to choose the new NSW Premier, who is likely to be the current Treasurer, Gladys Berejiklian.
Fairfax Media has confirmed that Berejiklian will run in any leadership ballot and it is unclear if there will be any challengers.
Baird had a politically difficult 2016, including the humiliation of being forced to back down on his bid to ban greyhound racing in NSW, personal criticism over the lockout laws for licensed venues and fallout from the government’s infrastructure agenda.
But the premier has consistently stated it is his ‘‘intention’’ to contest the 2019 election as Premier and as the member for Manly.
Yesterday Baird highlighted his inaugural speech to Parliament in which he said he wanted ‘‘to come into public life to make a difference’’.
‘‘I said many times I didn’t want to become a career politician,’’ he said. ‘‘I wanted to go as hard as I could for as long as I could and then step aside.
‘‘Today, I am making good on that pledge.
‘‘After 10 years in public life, three years as treasurer and three years as premier, I think now is the right time to do this’’.
Baird also said there is ‘‘a strong personal cost’’ that comes with the job ‘‘and I probably felt that more than any other time in the last few months’’.
Baird’s father, Bruce, is recovering from open heart surgery and his mother, Judy, has gone into 24-hour care with muscular dystrophy.
He revealed his sister, Julia, had ‘‘a reoccurrence of cancer. I was in hospital with her last week’’.
Ms Baird revealed in late 2015 she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
With tears in his eyes and in front of his wife Kerryn and three children, Baird said: ‘‘To be honest, at times I have been in pain at not being able to spend the time [with them].
‘‘Those personal things obviously impact you. The nature of this job makes it tough to be able to support as much as you want.’’
Baird listed his achievements, including lifting the NSW economy to be the strongest in the nation, bringing the budget into surplus and being the first state to sign up to the Gonski agreement on education funding.
- Fairfax