NSW government ministers’ 2022 report card revealed
There were plenty of distractions for Dom Perrottet’s team this year, the most explosive being the Barilaro scandal. We rate their efforts.
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There were plenty of distractions in the last year before the 2023 state election – be it the federal poll which unseated the Coalition in Canberra, or the Barilaro scandal which rocked the NSW Government to its foundations (before petering away).
Save for a few implosions, most of Perrottet’s front bench kept largely out of trouble. But with a conga-line of long-serving ministers quitting politics for good next year, the team running the state will look very different – whichever party wins in March.
DOMINIC PERROTTET – PREMIER
Grade: A-
It was Dominic Perrottet’s first full year as Premier, but will 2022 also be his last in the top job?
During the Omicron wave, Perrottet began the year by staring down the likes of the Australian Medical Association (which Perrottet calls “the doctors’ union”). Now that Covid is being treated like any other respiratory disease nationwide, Perrottet could argue he was proved right.
An ill-fated trade trip to Japan, Korea, and India descended into high farce amid the Barilaro trade role scandal, only for Perrottet to return home and be forced to sack one of his Ministers over bullying allegations.
But in the months since Perrottet has righted course, succeeding in landing what he says will be a generational reform in allowing first home buyers to choose land tax over stamp duty. (This could be short-lived if a Labor scare campaign cuts through.).
Perrottet’s vow to implement a cashless gaming card for punters to play the pokies scared the horses, with Liberals still scarred by Mike Baird’s doomed greyhound ban.
Premier Perrottet is in politics for a good time, not a long time, and his crash or crash through approach saw him step out of Gladys Berejiklian’s shadow in 2022.
PAUL TOOLE – DEPUTY PREMIER, POLICE, REGIONAL NSW
Grade: C-
As Police Minister, Paul Toole is not well liked among the NSW Police force ranks. He is not that well liked among Liberals either. He also drew criticism from a few Nationals colleagues by appointing Steph Cooke as the Minister for Flood Recovery rather than taking on the job himself.
Needs to step up.
MATT KEAN – TREASURER, ENERGY
Grade: C
Matt Kean spent another year angering conservative Liberals by pushing for Scott Morrison’s hand-picked candidate Katherine Deves to be disendorsed before the federal poll, leading to claims of “treachery” (which he denies), and a telling off from the boss (along with David Elliott – more below).
In the final months of the year Kean was tasked with, and took responsibility for, getting more Liberal women to run in winnable seats. That has been a total failure.
He does get points for handing down a budget packed to the brim with transformational reform – including significant changes to childcare and education (like a universal extra year of teaching before kindergarten).
BRONNIE TAYLOR – WOMEN, REGIONAL HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH
Grade: B+
Bronnie Taylor had a big win in carving out her own division within the mammoth Health department in a bid to reform healthcare in the bush. Since her last report card, Taylor took on the new role of Regional Health Minister, something called for in last year’s Daily Telegraph Bush Summit.
She is still a quiet achiever, understood to have done significant work on a recently announced shake-up allowing pharmacies to prescribe certain medications.
DAMIEN TUDEHOPE – FINANCE, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Grade: B-
Damien Tudehope’s year was dominated by dramas in his Employee Relations portfolio, during the unions’ self-declared “year of the strike”.
Tudehope’s vow (with Matt Kean) that the government would not bow to rail union demands to alter a mothballed intercity rail fleet ended with an embarrassing backflip.
He took up the fight with the unions in the Fair Work Commission alongside David Elliott.
ALISTER HENSKENS – ENTERPRISE, INVESTMENT, TRADE, SPORT, SKILLS AND TRAINING, SCIENCE (AKA MINISTER FOR EVERYTHING)
Grade: C+
Alister Henskens got a big promotion at the end of last year then an even bigger one when Stuart Ayres fell on his sword.
Taking on the Sport portfolio, Henskens was immediately thrown into the stoush between the NSW Government and ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys – effectively a hospital pass after Premier Dominic Perrottet backtracked on a handshake deal to spend hundreds of millions on suburban grounds.
BRAD HAZZARD – HEALTH *RETIRING*
Grade: B
After more than two years of Covid, Brad Hazzard had a far quieter year in 2022. Fitting for his final year in parliament after more than three decades.
He faced workforce shortages and Covid strains on the health system, and repeated nurse strikes.
But despite the problems, NSW hospitals ended the year on top compared with other states and territories, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.
With Bronnie Taylor he announced changes allowing pharmacists to prescribe certain medicines.
Retains his 2021 ranking of “B for belligerent”.
SARAH MITCHELL – EDUCATION
Grade: B+
Copped heat over teacher shortages and union strikes, but is considered by colleagues to be a hard working Minister.
Helped land historic changes to education by introducing a new universal year of schooling before kindergarten.
MARK SPEAKMAN – ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Grade: C
After years of delays, Speakman finally landed changes to drug laws, but major details still need to be finalised.
The changes – allowing users to escape fines if they attend mandatory health programs – are nothing if not controversial, but at least the government finally got on the same page after bitter cabinet feuds.
With Roads Minister Natalie Ward, he increased penalties for protesters grinding the city to a halt.
ROB STOKES – INFRASTRUCTURE, CITIES, ACTIVE TRANSPORT *RETIRING*
Grade: C
If you like “active transport” – government speak for walking and bike-riding – then Rob Stokes would get an A.
He ended the year demanding, to his credit, that Transport for NSW clean up its act after The Daily Telegraph revealed thousands of dollars of public money were spent on an end-of-year bar tab.
VICTOR DOMINELLO – CUSTOMER SERVICE, SMALL BUSINESS, FAIR TRADING *RETIRING*
Grade: B-
As Service NSW’s “Mr Fix-It”, Victor Dominello gets stuff done – like expanding the Active Kids vouchers program to cover school holiday programs.
His ability to deliver on his brief will be missed when he retires.
But his department did drop the ball in getting flood relief for businesses out the door.
Dominello’s continued obsession with a cashless gaming card for pokies players further angered the powerful pubs and clubs industries. Will Perrottet succeed where Dominello failed?
ANTHONY ROBERTS – PLANNING, HOMES
Grade: B-
Won the backing of developers when he scrapped planning rules which the industry said was strangling the bid to build more homes.
But amid a crippling rental crisis, he will need to step up to get more houses built where people need them.
DAVID ELLIOTT – TRANSPORT, VETERANS, WESTERN SYDNEY
Grade: B-
Was accused of being asleep on the job – literally – when he went to bed while bureaucrats were trying to resolve a dispute with the rail union, leading to an entire network shutdown.
David Elliott was rebuked by his boss when Dominic Perrottet declared that Ministers need to be available “24/7”.
He repeatedly fought the rail union over increasing strikes before a solution was finally reached.
But Elliott was repeatedly hauled into line for talking out of school.
Arguably the government’s most prominent warrior for conservative values, the Liberal party will miss Elliott when he leaves politics next year.
NATALIE WARD – METROPOLITAN ROADS, WOMEN’S SAFETY
Grade: B
She dramatically failed to move to the Lower House when she was spurned by preselectors in Davidson, but Natalie Ward otherwise had a strong year.
Ward was instrumental in increasing penalties for climate protesters shutting down roads.
Seen by colleagues as a future leader – if she can find a seat on the green leather.
KEVIN ANDERSON – LANDS, WATER, HOSPITALITY, RACING
Grade: C
Scored hits for the government on raising the Warragamba Dam wall, when it was declared “critical state significant infrastructure”.
That’s despite earlier getting tongue-tied over the issue.
Overall an average performance, but a dramatic improvement from last year.
GEOFF LEE – CORRECTIONS
Grade: C-
The outgoing Corrections Minister only declared just five meetings in the three months from July to September, leading criticism from Labor that he was not pulling his weight.
But to his credit, he did kick UN inspectors out of the Queanbeyan courthouse cells.
NATASHA MACLAREN-JONES – FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, DISABILITIES
Grade: D-
The government is still woefully failing in its aim – announced by Gladys Berejiklian – to reduce the number of at-risk kids being re-reported to authorities.
Maclaren-Jones has been less than inspiring after being promoted into the Ministry last year.
SAM FARRAWAY – REGIONAL ROADS
Grade: C
Listened to community concerns when, alongside Natalie Ward, he announced mobile speed camera warning signs would return.
Colleagues accused him of not pulling his weight in negotiating and end to rail strikes.
STEPH COOKE – EMERGENCY SERVICES, FLOOD RECOVERY
Grade: C
Thrown into the deep-end as emergency services Minister during the first half of the year and faced a steep learning curve.
JAMES GRIFFIN – ENVIRONMENT
Grade: C
Perhaps the only Minister in the state’s history to have a pride of lions escape on their watch (the Environment Department is responsible for Taronga Zoo).
MARK COURE – SENIORS, MULTICULTURALISM
Grade: B-
Colleagues say he is doing good work in his off-Broadway (but important) portfolios. The Premier’s eyes and ears on the Liberal Party’s state executive.
DUGALD SAUNDERS – AGRICULTURE, WESTERN NSW
Grade: C
Was forced to back track on a land reform bill in the dying days of parliament amid threats it would reignite the “koala wars”. Stepped up to help contain a foot and mouth disease threat and a bee-threatening pest.
BEN FRANKLIN – TOURISM, ARTS, ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS
Grade: C
Achieved what his predecessor Don Harwin didn’t by remaining largely scandal-free. Broke ranks with federal Nationals colleagues by supporting the Voice to parliament.
WENDY TUCKERMAN – LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Grade: D
Her biggest moment as Local Government Minister was calling for a parliamentary inquiry into Labor mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown Khal Asfour.
DISQUALIFIED:
STUART AYRES
Will the previous Minister for Everything make a return in the new year?
ELENI PETINOS
She was touted for bigger things but Miranda MP Eleni Petinos was sacked over bullying allegations which she denies.
Could be a long road back.
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