topic Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier in Community Spirit

Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

icyfroth — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 04:44:58 GMT

NSW Treasurer Mike Baird is expected to replace Barry O'Farrell as premier.

The Liberal Party room will meet at 3pm on Thursday when it is expected Mr Baird will be elected unopposed as the state's 44th premier.

After Mr O'Farrell on Wednesday spectacularly announced his resignation from the top job, Mr Baird and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian emerged as favourites to replace him.

Liberal sources said Ms Berejiklian had the slight edge over her rival in the party room, but in the end, she decided to run for deputy leader on a joint ticket with Mr Baird.

Her decision avoids a messy factional fight between the party's left, who are strongly backing Ms Berejiklian, and the right, who were lining up behind Mr Baird.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner and western Sydney MP Stuart Ayres have publicly thrown their support behind the Baird/Berejiklian ticket.

Community Services Minister Pru Goward pulled out of the running for the deputy position, only hours after saying she would nominate.

At Thursday's meeting, Liberal MPs will formally accept Mr O'Farrell's resignation and confirm the new premier.

If Mr Baird is successful, he will become the state's sixth premier in almost 10 years.

Mr Baird said earlier that maintaining party unity was important.

"It is important that we all come together, clearly unity has been a hallmark of what we have been about in the past few years," he told the Seven Network.

Mr O'Farrell has previously named Ms Berejiklian as the best candidate to succeed him.

But Mr Baird has the backing of right faction MPs, who have been impressed with his aggressive push to privatise the state's assets.

Mr Baird is the son of Bruce Baird, who was a lower house federal MP in John Howard's government, and represents the northern beaches electorate of Manly.

Ms Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian immigrants and holds the north shore electorate of Willoughby.

After the ballot, a ministerial reshuffle will be on the cards.

But, in line with a coalition agreement, the role of deputy premier will still be held by Nationals MP Andrew Stoner.

Mr O'Farrell resigned after giving misleading evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption about a $3000 bottle of wine.

From Here

But Mr Baird has the backing of right faction MPs, who have been impressed with his aggressive push to privatise the state's assets.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

pct001wine — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 04:50:42 GMT

At least he'll be cheaper to bribe

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

boris1gary — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 05:25:43 GMT

Bairds history in NSW State Govt......what a dud...another dud in a long list of Liberal Duds....and there isn't really much left to privatise

Liberal Treasurer, Mike Baird has threatened to cut 8000 jobs if the Government is required to pay a 0.25 per cent superannuation increase. [9 August, 2013]

It is revealed that the NSW Government made a $1 billion dollar mistake in its sums and the Budget is actually in surplus. [31 October, 2012]

Barry O’Farrell, and NSW Treasurer Mike Baird have stated that they are delivering a budget that is “responsible”. I agree totally.

Responsible for the sale of our power generators

Responsible for 10,000 people losing their jobs (plus 5,000 from last year).

Responsible for a backroom deal so that amateurs can shoot up the local National Park while you picnic there with your family (a policy that caused deaths in New Zealand).

Responsible for prices soaring as the cost of power skyrockets (at least 18% from Barry’s previous budget price hike starting July 1).

Responsible for cut-backs at our local schools and hospitals.

Responsible for making Sydney the most expensive place in Australia to live.

Infrastructure NSW, may be expensive and another layer to cause delays, but at least they are independent and know what they are doing.

Run by a former Liberal Premier, Nick Greiner, it must have made Barry feel good to help out an old mate with a good government paycheck.

However, it wasn’t all back slapping and secret handshakes, at least Nick knew his stuff. After all, Nick was the man responsible for the state’s biggest infrastructure failure, the Airport Rail Link, which went into liquidation not long after opening. The state has its fingers crossed that he has learnt from this colossal and hugely expensive mistake. Maybe we should cross our toes, too.

Also in the budget is Mike Baird's promise that he still has $1 billion worth of cuts still coming. But, in the interests of full transparency, he won't tell us where these cuts are going to be.

NSW Treasurer Mike Baird - don't ask where the cuts are coming from.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

silverfaun — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 06:58:22 GMT

Don't like him and loathe his father. Gladys was the best candidate IMO.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

icyfroth — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 07:03:23 GMT

I agree Faun, I would have liked to see Gladys in the job as well.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

silverfaun — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 07:03:48 GMT

The bottle of wine was a dud if it was supposed to be a bribe. O'Farrell veto'd the Sydney Water proposal spawned by Labor's criminal tentacles.

Just an aside to all the rabid speculation, O'Farrell was not accused of any crime, corruption or any other malfeasance so please try to curb the sp---n vents.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

lakeland27 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 07:15:12 GMT

@silverfaun wrote:
The bottle of wine was a dud if it was supposed to be a bribe. O'Farrell veto'd the Sydney Water proposal spawned by Labor's criminal tentacles.

Just an aside to all the rabid speculation, O'Farrell was not accused of any crime, corruption or any other malfeasance so please try to curb the sp---n vents.

labors criminal tentacles have blue ties on in this case . i'd say that makes them liberal criminal tentacles . .

dont be upset , if you really think the libs are squeaky clean the truth had to dawn on you sometime .

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

debra9275 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 08:05:48 GMT

I would've thought they'd choose the transport minister, she seemed the cleaner choice. His name was on the papers giving that corrupt bloke the job on the water board.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

debra9275 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:28:58 GMT

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-17/mike-baird-who-is-new-nsw-premier/5397336

i looked him up

and yes it was him who appointed Girolamo

Mr Baird appointed Mr Di Girolamo to the board of the State Water Corporation in June 2012.

Documents obtained by Greens MP John Kaye show Mr Di Girolamo was ranked lowly when interviewed for another board position at the Sydney Ports Corporation.

Mr Di Girolamo was dismissed as not having relevant industry experience.

Dr Kaye claims Mr Di Girolamo was equally unsuited for the State Water Corporation board.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

freshwater-2 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:46:10 GMT

And....Mike Baird still has to appear for questioning before ICAC.

Should be interesting.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

spotweldersfriend — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 10:02:52 GMT

@icyfroth wrote:
I agree Faun, I would have liked to see Gladys in the job as well.

Only if she brought the Pips with her.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

freshwater-2 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:11:08 GMT

Just an aside to all the rabid speculation, O'Farrell was not accused of any crime, corruption or any other malfeasance so please try to curb the sp---n vents.

Quite right SF. He disgraced himself with his responses to legitimate questions.

His undoing was complerely his own....nobody else's.

Now, let's see how Baird handles hiimelf when it is hiis turn in the hot seat at the enqury.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

polksaladallie — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 21:55:34 GMT

At least he doesn't have the same accent as his father.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

silverfaun — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 22:01:51 GMT

Its funny reading the left trying to make more out of this than it is, the screams of delight and howls corruption where none exists.

The left on here who trumpeted their support for the worst government in Australia's history and are still too blind to wake up to what they really are, what they're there for, they are their to further themselves and line their pockets at the expense of the people.

The Labor party is rotten through and through. This whole ICAC inquiry is to root out the corruption in....wait for it....The Labor party and it's cronies.

The labor party has so corrupted the political landscape, so destroyed any trust in politicians that the Liberals have now become a casualty of Labors criminal activities, a victim of Labor's total failure to limit themselves within the borders of decency and now their plague has spread to people who have had no part in Labor's crimes against the people of Australia.

The corruption in Labor went right to the top with the National President of the Labor Party right up to Prime Minister Gillard the PM of Australia no less.

Barry O'Farrell made a mistake, he is not corrupt, he did not grant permission for Sydney water (a Labor Obead family entity) and he did not profit from anything.

The only thing O'Farrell is guilty of is being a decent man.

It's Easter, try to have a bit of decency and mercy for a man who made a mistake, admitted it and has paid dearly for it, that's more than can be said for Thomson and Williamson now isn't it?

Happy Easter.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

colic2bullsgirlore — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 22:39:55 GMT

Mike Baird is being interviewed on channel 10 now..... the interviewer queried

" Congatulations Mr Baird on being elected Premier of NSW yesterday.... If I may ask... How did you celebrate last night?

....did you, by chance, uncork an old bottle of wine?"

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

i-need-a-martini — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:25:51 GMT

@silverfaun wrote:
Don't like him and loathe his father. Gladys was the best candidate IMO.

I am not sure that I agree that Berejiklian was the best candidate. I liked her but I think she is a bit green. And she has only ever held the Transport portfolio. Not enough breadth.

Mike Baird can't last. He has already had too many question marks over his head and is too much of a wheeler and dealer. At least O'Farrell had strong values regardless of whether I agreed or not.

But I DID like Bruce Baird. He was my member when I lived in Cronulla and he was extremely well liked and approachable. And he had the guts to say what he thought. I recall a few confrontations with Ruddock and Howard over issues he disagreed with. Can you imagine politicians doing that today?

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

debra9275 — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:40:04 GMT

The Labor party is rotten through and through. This whole ICAC inquiry is to root out the corruption in....wait for it....The Labor party and it's cronies.

well that sure backfired. I bet the Libs will now be looking for ways to limit ICAC's powers

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

i-need-a-martini — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:50:20 GMT

Actually the ICAC enquiry is very specifically about soliciting and concealing payments related to Australian Water Holdings.

It isn't about identifying corruption in the either the Labor Party or the Liberal Party.

It just so happens that many members of BOTH parties are embroiled.

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

debra9275 — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 00:01:04 GMT

yes. realistically it does concern both parties and I hope all involved are weeded out

Re: Mike Baird Set To Become NSW premier

silverfaun — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 00:50:35 GMT

Please supply proof of corruption by Liberal MP's that ICAC has uncovered and consequently will inform police so that criminal charges may be laid.