Former NSW energy minister Matt Kean quits politics

Former NSW energy minister Matt Kean is retiring from politics to pursue a career in the private sector.

Former NSW treasurer and energy minister Matt Kean is retiring from parliament to pursue a career in the green energy industry, with the divisive Liberal figure ruling out a tilt at federal politics.

Mr Kean has been actively looking for a post-politics job, but insisted nothing has been “finalised” when it comes to finding a new job.

As recently as Saturday, it was reported that Liberal figures were courting Mr Kean for a potential run at a federal seat. However, he ruled that out on Tuesday.

“I won’t be running for federal parliament, I intending on pursuing a career in the private sector,” he said.

“I feel I made significant changes, positive changes in energy policy, in my job as the Minister for energy, so I intend on continuing to try and make an impact in the energy industry in the private sector,” he said.

NSW Liberal Matt Kean MP, with son Tom and partner Wendy Paterson, announcing on Tuesday he will retire from politics to pursue a job in the private sector. Picture: James O’Doherty

Asked if he had already been offered a job, Mr Kean said “nothing has been finalised”.

Pressed on if he has had any discussions with potential employers, Mr Kean repeated that nothing has been “finalised”.

“I’m not going to play rule-in, rule-out games,” he said.

Former ministers have strict rules regarding post-parliamentary employment.
For 18 months, former ministers must seek advice from Parliament’s ethics adviser if they intend to take a job in an area related to their previous portfolio.

The shock announcement was made in a hastily convened media conference, in a move one Liberal source was “Matt Kean to the very end”.

Mr Kean said he made the decision to quit over the weekend after thinking about retiring “for a long time”.

Kean won’t be back when parliament returns in August. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

“We’ve been talking about public life, we’ve been talking about (the) strain that places on our family and we’ve come to a conclusion recently that I want to pursue opportunities in the private sector.”

Parliament rises on Friday for a month-long break.

Mr Kean said he does not intend to return to parliament when it returns in August.

He made the announcement flanked by his partner Wendy and their four-year-old son Tom.

Liberal leader Mark Speakman was watching on, as were Mr Kean’s moderate faction colleagues and friends Eleni Petinos and Felicity Wilson.

Liberal Party state director Richard Shields was also watching from the sidelines.

OLD FOE PAYS TRIBUTE

Mr Kean’s former sparring partner, former Transport and Police Minister David Elliott, said he had “already sent him a text welcoming him back to the human race”.

Then-Premier Dominic Perrottet hauled the two into line in 2022 after an ongoing spat between them played out in the media.

Mr Kean was publicly accused of “treachery” by Mr Elliott at the time, over allegations Mr Kean was attempting to undermine the Liberals’ selection of unsuccessful Warringah candidate Katherine Deves in that year’s federal election.

“We got elected together, we never let our differences get personal. I know how hard it is when you’ve got a young family to continue this job — as I said in my valedictory, if we had more people like Matt Kean showing the passion for politics he did — albeit, often he had a different interpretation of Liberalism than I did – I think the parliament would be a better place,” Mr Elliott said.

“I’ve already sent him a text welcoming him back to the human race and I look forward to sharing many more stories with him in the years to come.”

“We certainly were the Ying and Yang when it came to modern Liberalism — but as many people have observed, including John Howard, the party has always soared when the left and the right wing were strong.”

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