With a new NSW premier comes a much-needed reshuffle of the house of cards on Macquarie Street.
Gladys Berejiklian was given the mantle unopposed, which means there is obviously no-one other than her who had the talent or ego for the job. Or the NSW coalition could really, really be committed to unity. Ha! Ahem.
Fun fact – the previous premier Mike Baird, she’s a corporate banker. She is also of Armenian heritage, and being an immigrant demonstrates how anyone who is given enough opportunity can inhabit and triumph in any swamp.
Unlike Baird, she’s not of entitlement and privilege; she reputedly went to a public school and thankfully appears to understand that when it comes to education, equity can help produce the best results for a society.
Besides being premier, the most important job is planning.
It’s arguable that being treasurer is more important, but is keeping a balanced budget more powerful than giving the environment up to developers at the expense of communities?
Anthony Roberts is the new planning minister, which also means being the minister for whatever Jamie Packer wants.
Fun fact – he’s a member of the North Shore elite who worked closely with former PM John Howard.
It’s unclear what his planning credentials are, given he replaces the evangelical Rob Stokes. Stokes has now shuffled along to education minister, yet holds a doctorate in planning law.
It is also worth noting the retirement of roads minister Duncan Gay (Nationals). Throughout his career he basically did whatever Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) wanted.
The trucking and oil industry would be surely indebted to him, which comes at the expense of the more economical yet neglected NSW railway network.
And we have a new health minister! Taking on the task of defending the underfunding of NSW health will now be Brad Hazzard.
Health minister Jillian Skinner, who is both old and in the way, thankfully retired last week with full entitlements and without much to show for it.
Let’s never forget Hazzard was one of the ministers responsible for nearly bringing the police in against north coast CSG protesters at Bentley near Lismore.
According to Crikey’s Alex Mitchell, Berejiklian’s smartest move was to make Mark Speakman SC, MP for Cronulla, the Attorney-General in a stand-alone portfolio.
He wrote, ‘She has stripped Justice, Corrective Services and Police from the previous AG mega-portfolio, which had led to grotesque conflicts of interests.’
Good luck, Berejiklian, especially when it comes to keeping the lid on all the crazies whom you now lead.
– Hans Lovejoy
