Gladys Berejiklian: Steady as she goes premier in waiting

GLADYS Berejiklian’s likely rise to become NSW’s 45th premier will mark a lurch towards a more cautious, pragmatic style of politics.

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GLADYS Berejiklian’s likely rise to become NSW’s 45th premier will mark a lurch towards a more cautious, pragmatic style of politics and a possible further push on tax reform — including support for increasing the GST.

Ms Berejiklian, the state’s Treasurer and the current overwhelming favourite to take over from Mike Baird, has been instrumental in transforming the state’s economy. Her iron grip on spending has put the government’s coffers on track for a $4 billion surplus this year.

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The 46-year-old former Commonwealth Bank executive is expected to bring a similarly disciplined approach to the state’s top job — were she to win support from party colleagues next week to become NSW’s second female premier after Labor’s Kristina ­Keneally.

Gladys Berejiklian is likely to take over from Mike Baird as NSW premier.

“Gladys’s whole approach is based on discipline and pragmatism,” said one government source. “You can see that in the way she debates policy and the way she approaches the state’s finances.

“She barely puts a foot wrong. You won’t get any ill-thought-out or left-field policies from her.”

As Treasurer, Ms Berejiklian has long argued in favour of increasing the GST from 10 to 15 per cent — and this issue is likely to be back on the table during a Berejiklian premiership. The vexed issue has been tied to the abolition of the despised stamp duty tax, with the state government previously suggesting it could scrap the property levy if NSW is given extra GST revenue to plug the funding shortfall.

Another source suggested Ms Berejiklian is “acutely” aware of the housing affordability crisis faced by first-time buyers, and this could also be a priority for a government she leads.

“Housing affordability is the toughest of issues — no one has the magic solution — but I think she realises it’s one that has to be tackled head-on,” they added.

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Gladys Berejiklian and Mike Baird had a solid working relationship.

Ms Berejiklian recently argued strongly in favour of increasing housing supply as the main way of bringing prices under control — a policy that will continue under her leadership.

She has previously revealed plans to turn Sydney into a city where people do not feel “forced to get into the car”.

This includes arguing against a metro-style train system — which is exactly what the government is building now.

“My personal preference is to improve the system we’ve got,” she said on the issue in 2010. “I don’t want to say we would never build a metro but why would you build another all-stops system when you have an all-stops ­system?

“I think we should be looking at fast trains (like Sydney to Canberra) or Sydney to Penrith via Homebush.’’

There are concerns among some Liberal MPs that Ms Berejiklian is too close to the moderate powerbroker and lobbyist Michael Photios, and that her accession to the top job might strengthen Mr Photios’ power in NSW.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes is another possible candidate who would make housing affordability a high priority.

Mr Stokes, who was due to spend four weeks in the UK this year studying for a masters degree in planning and sustainable urban development at Oxford, is also likely to bring an awareness of environmental issues to the role of premier.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who has held the treasurer’s role and a wide variety of other ministerial portfolios, has been a full-blooded supporter of the government’s privatisation agenda, while Finance Minister Dominic Perrottet is viewed as a moderniser.

Gladys Berejiklian has previously revealed plans to turn Sydney into a city where people do not feel “forced to get into the car”.

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GLADYS Berejiklian is the daughter of Armenian migrants, the state’s first female treasurer and readily admits no one can pronounce her last name.

The 46-year-old’s grandparents survived the 1915 Armenian genocide and she is fiercely proud of her heritage.

“This includes being proud of my surname,” Ms Berejiklian said in her 2003 maiden speech to parliament. “I thank the good people of Willoughby who voted for me even though they could not pronounce it.”

The Sydney-born former Commonwealth Bank executive has been on the path to prominence for years. She is a former NSW Young Liberals president and was singled out for big things in 2010 by former federal treasurer Joe Hockey, with whom she became friends while working for former state treasurer Peter Collins.

Transport minister Gladys Berejiklian with Premier Mike Baird in 2015.

‘’This is the new generation. This is the leadership of NSW for the next decade,” Mr Hockey said of Ms Berejiklian and Mike Baird.

After winning the seat of Willoughby Ms Berejiklian held a series of shadow portfolios.

She started landing major blows in her four years as transport spokeswoman — holding Labor to account over aborted rail and road projects.

In 2011, after Barry O’Farrell led the Coalition to victory, Ms Berejiklian became transport minister — kickstarting the process of implementing the Opal card and building the Northwest Rail Link, among other projects. In the past she has addressed her unmarried status. “You can’t always plan out the way your life turns out,” she said in 2010. “I think if I do get married, if I do have kids, that’d be great, for me, (but) I don’t find the need to have a handbag, put it that way.’’

NSW is on track for a $4 billion surplus this financial year under her fiscal guidance.