High Steaks: Morris Iemma talks about life after politics, and having to learn to walk again

When Morris Iemma left the NSW Bearpit, he may have thought life would involve less fighting. How wrong he was. The former premier sits down for a High Steaks interview with James O’Doherty.

Morris Iemma has a quick-thinking cardiologist to thank for saving his life.

At 62, the former premier was preparing to take on his “dream job” as arguably the most powerful person in NSW sport.

But just a month after being appointed chair of Venues NSW, Iemma was told he needed to give it up.

A virus had short-circuited the former Premier’s brain, and it began sending messages to his nerves and muscles to shut down.

It first started as a headache which persisted for a few weeks. Like too many blokes, Iemma “ignored it for a while,” before he started to feel throbbing in the back of the head.

One morning he woke up feeling dizzy, the throbbing was worse, and he had “extremely high” blood pressure.

He raced to his cardiologist thinking he had hypertension. That doctor immediately called an ambulance, recognising signs of stroke. “There was no stroke. It was a neurological problem that affected my left side, my physical mobility, and some cognitive functions,” he says.

Former premier Morris Iemma sits down at Chophouse for a High Steaks interview with James O’Doherty (left). Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Later, Iemma’s specialist would tell him that his brain had started sending warning signals to the nerves and muscles: “So the brain operates like a computer and it was sending messages to your nerves and muscles to shut down.”

After a couple of weeks in hospital, Iemma spent months in rehab learning to walk again — for the second time.

“It was frightening,” he says.

Back in 2009, a year after leaving politics, Iemma was struck down with a potentially deadly brain virus, diagnosed with meningoencephalitis. He had to fight to walk again. The episode last year was almost as bad.

“It was very similar to what I’d had when I left politics, (but that) was even more severe and nearly cost me my life,” he says.

“So whilst it was heartbreaking to give the job away, I had no choice.”

Iemma (left) taking over the premiership from Bob Carr in 2005. Picture: AAP Image

While Iemma appears a bit stiff walking into our steak lunch at Chophouse in the CBD, he made it to the Bligh St restaurant unaided. It’s a far cry from where he was last year.

“I’ve gone from the Zimmer frame, two crutches, one crutch then the stick to (now) getting mobile.”

Rehab, he says, was gruelling — mentally, and physically.

“Putting one foot in front of the other, who gives any thought to that? But I’ve had to go through it, twice.

“It’s a real struggle mentally, the constant concentration required … learning to put one foot in front of the other.”

Chophouse’s eye fillet from Gippsland. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Iemma is spared any further probing of his medical history as our lunch arrives.

Before our chat, Iemma confessed he was not much of a “steak guy”. But his 200 gram medium-rare eye fillet with mushroom sauce appears to have converted him.

“Juicy, absolutely delicious, highly recommended. I’m coming back,” he says.

My 300 gram medium-rare scotch fillet is succulent and flavourful, although the accompanying chimichurri is bland.

We share a simple green salad on the side.

Iemma quit politics — and as premier — in September 2008, after a caucus revolt over his attempt to privatise the energy sector (later completed by the Coalition). Almost 17 years later, Labor’s Chris Minns came to power promising to end privatisation entirely.

Despite the polar opposite approach, Iemma and Minns are close. Two of Iemma’s sons have even spent time working for the now-premier (appointments which, Iemma says, he “deliberately stayed away from”).

Then-new premier Morris Iemma with wife Santina and their children Luca, Clara, Matthew and Joshua. Two of the boys have now spent time working for current Premier Chris Minns. Picture: Dean Marzolla

Minns has reached out a few times to bounce around ideas, mainly relating to sport and local issues.

These days, Iemma works as a lobbyist, having teamed up with former state Liberal MP Chris Patterson. The pair connected through their children’s cricket teams. They cover a range of sectors, ­including housing and property, and renewable energy.

Iemma welcomes the Minns government’s major focus easing the housing crisis.

Housing is “the first, second, and third issue” for voters, Iemma says, citing polling which confirms Minns is on the right track.

Announcing new housing targets is the easy bit.

The hard part comes in the delivery.

Iemma has had to relearn how to walk twice after being struck down with viruses. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“(Minns) spent the first year and a bit getting the policies in, good. It’s all now about delivering an outcome,” Iemma says.

The last NSW Premier to last more than one term was Bob Carr, almost two decades ago. Iemma believes Minns could be the next, if he can deliver on his central promise: making it easier to find a home.

“Everywhere I go, I don’t hear a bad word about Chris, from business to community groups, they genuinely like Chris Minns,” he says.

“They’re not going to fix the housing crisis, but the electorate will see enough movement, enough delivery to give them a tick.

“As Carr showed, and as Wran showed, if you get your first 12 months right, get your policies in place, deliver them, and get the outcome, the reward is a significant majority at the next (election).”

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