First picture: Gladys Berejiklian says successor Perrettot will be an ‘amazing leader’
Gladys Berejiklian has been seen for the first time in public since announcing her resignation, waving to passers-by and offering a special message of support to successor Dominic Perrottet.
NSW
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Gladys Berejiklian has been seen for the first time in public since announcing her resignation.
The former premier entered her electorate office on Wednesday morning, flanked by the local federal MP Trent Zimmerman.
The windows of her office are plastered with messages of support, with flowers placed around the door.
“I just want to say a big thank you to everybody it’s been an enormous comfort and I want the community to get behind Premier Perrettot as I know they will. He will be an amazing leader at this important time.
“It’s an important time for everybody to follow the premier’s words and come out of this lockdown as safely as possible.
“I’m going to read every single card and message.”
BRIGHT NEW CHAPTER FOR NSW
Dominic Perrottet has declared a new chapter for NSW, promising a brighter summer and pledging to take the state from “good to great”.
The new Premier was set to meet with health officials on Wednesday to discuss the state’s reopening roadmap, after lengthy discussions with Health Minister Brad Hazzard last night.
Hopes had earlier been stoked that as Premier, Mr Perrottet would seek to accelerate the timeline out of lockdown. He had preliminary discussions about the roadmap after being sworn in on Tuesday.
It can be revealed that under a recovery package set to be unveiled by Mr Perrottet, businesses who stock up on perishables – like a restaurant buying produce – may be able to claim costs of stock lost if they are forced to go into a snap lockdown.
“We want businesses to be stocked up and ready to go and have the confidence to invest in a brighter summer,” Mr Perrottet told the Telegraph.
“I have complete hope and optimism that our state’s future is incredibly bright.”
Mr Perrottet said Western Sydney – which has endured the harshest lockdown in the state – would be at the “heart” of his government, championed by his deputy Stuart Ayres.
But Labor leader Chris Minns said that as Treasurer, Mr Perrottet had left Western Sydney worse off.
“Under Treasurer Perrottet, tolls are up, taxes are up, fines are up and charges are up for families in Western Sydney,” he said.
“The last thing families in Western Sydney need is more Dominic Perrottet.”
BUREAUCRATS BRACE FOR CHANGE
A change at the top of the NSW Government politically means the state’s top public servants are also bracing for the winds of change.
The state’s top public servant, Jim Betts, officially takes over from the well respected Tim Reardon in the Department of Premier and Cabinet at the beginning of next month. He will be casting a wary eye at his new boss, Premier Dominic Perrottet.
Mr Betts, a former British punk rocker, moves into the role from his time as the head of planning where he drove cultural reform including removing pin ups from building site tea rooms.
He would certainly have been keen to renew his working relationship with Mr Stokes in the Premier’s chair. He will be well aware Mr Perrottet, in his role as treasurer, ordered the Productivity Commission to look into the state’s woeful housing supply. It recommended reform of the NSW Planning System Mr Betts was in charge of. Now Mr Perrottet is his boss.
But Mr Betts will not be the only departmental secretary nervously eyeing the door for the new boss to walk in.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s resignation means his recently appointed Transport secretary Rob Sharp will be keen to impress the new minister after replacing the highly regarded Rod Staples, who was responsible for the delivery of the new Metro system.
Kiersten Fishburn was promoted from within the Department of Planning to take over from Mr Betts as department head and will be keen to continue working with Mr Stokes.
The changing of the guard was welcomed by Tom Forrest, chief executive of the Urban Taskforce, who said the new Premier would help drive recovery.
“Urban Taskforce welcomed the appointment of Kiersten Fishburn as she came to the role with a can-do attitude. Under Dominic Perrottet’s leadership now is the time for her to deliver,” he said.
One secretary who is unlikely to be worried by the arrival of a new minister is the head of Treasury Michael Pratt.
New Treasurer Matt Kean will know Mr Pratt has worked hand in glove with the new Premier in his previous role and has runs on the board with the way the people of NSW have been supported through Covid without sending the state broke.
Also secure in her role is Health Department Secretary Elizabeth Koff, who has worked with health minister Brad Hazzard through the pandemic. Deputy Secretary and NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has become a public figure through her daily Covid briefings and is easily the most recognisable bureaucrat in the government. Any thought of removing her would lead to a public outcry.
LANDSLIDE WIN
Mr Perrottet secured an overwhelming mandate from Liberal MPs in the party’s first contested leadership ballot since 2002. In a head-to-head contest with Planning Minister Rob Stokes, Mr Perrottet gained 39 votes. Mr Stokes received just five.
Mr Stokes said that he had given people a “choice,” and that they had “emphatically” endorsed Mr Perrottet.
“Dom Perrottet will be a magnificent Premier, and he has my undivided loyalty and support,” he said.
HEART’S OUT WEST
Mr Perrottet dismissed suggestions the government was trying to make amends with areas of the city that had been subjected to the strictest Covid lockdown restrictions as he declared the “heart” of his government would be in Western Sydney.
But he admitted the Delta outbreak had been “particularly challenging” the west.
“The values of our party, the aspiration, the work ethic, the opportunity for a fair go – they are fundamental values of Western Sydney and fundamental values of the Liberal Party,” he said.
Mr Perrottet will look to his deputy, Penrith MP Mr Ayres, to win the support of Western Sydney, where the Coalition needs to win seats to gain a fourth term in government.
“What I want to see as we move forward is that NSW comes out of this period of time stronger than ever right across the board, and Western Sydney is going to be the engine room of that,” he said.
“We’re going to take our state from good to great.”
KEEPING THE FAITH
Much is made of Mr Perrottet’s deep faith – he describes himself as an ”incredibly proud” Catholic. But his religious beliefs have attracted criticism in recent days from some who fear it may impact the way he governs. Mr Perrottet said it would be “sad” if people thought he should not serve as Premier because of his religion.
“My Christian faith is something I’m incredibly proud of, as many people across our state are,” he said.
“We live in a very diverse society, I think some of the criticism in relation to that diversity has been unfounded.”
He sought to ease concerns some voters may have with his conservative views, declaring “a fundamental premise of my values is respect and dignity for all”.
“No matter who you are, where you come from or what you believe, it is the greatest privilege of my life to represent and serve every one of you,” he said.
FAMILY PREMIER
Mr Perrottet, the state’s youngest ever Premier at 39, pledged to be a “family Premier” but acknowledged that it would be a “challenge” to balance his new job with his roles as husband to Helen and father of six young children.
He admitted there would potentially be “disappointments” in missing some family milestones.
“What I might lose in time, I gain in perspective,” he said of being with his kids.
“That will drive me even more to make sure that every single hour of my day, when I am at work, is dedicated to the improvement of the lives of every person across the state,” he said.
GLADYS’ MESSAGE OF THANKS TO PARTY
Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian was missing from the Liberal party room on Tuesday but she made her presence felt through a message to her successor Dominic Perrottet.
Mr Perrottet told reporters he had not spoken to his former boss since being voted in but had received a message from her with instructions to pass it onto their colleagues.
“She messaged me yesterday … wishing me well and also to pass on to the party room, a message which I don’t want to go into, but which I did (pass on),” he said.
It’s understood the former member for Willoughby’s message was one of thanks to her colleagues after more than four years in the state’s top job.
She thanked MPs for their support and repeated that her resignation had come at a terrible time. Ms Berejiklian’s message also urged the party to continue to put the community first and stay united.
Mr Perrottet described the circumstances of Ms Berejiklian’s departure as “incredibly difficult” but said seeing a former premier in the witness box for a corruption inquiry would not be a distraction for him.
“The events of the past few days have been incredibly difficult, and I think we all understand why unexpected change can bring uncertainty, and sometimes for many that can feel unsettling,” he said.
“Nothing will distract us from our job to look after the people of NSW. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Apart from the message from his former colleague, Mr Perrottet revealed he had also heard from a member of the crossbench who he will be working with in his new role.
“Obviously parliamentary stability is incredibly important. I’ve already had one of those crossbenchers reach out to me today,” he said, confirming he would be sitting down with other members of the crossbench in coming days.
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