Premier’s legacy: The good, the Baird and the ugly
MIKE Baird’s popularity went to the dogs in mid-2016: A flurry of messages announced greyhound racing was being banned. It was the end.
NSW
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MIKE Baird’s popularity went to the dogs on a cold day in mid-2016.
Just before midday on July 7, a flurry of messages whirred from the Premier’s social media accounts announcing greyhound racing was being banned.
“In response to widespread illegal activity, I can today announce that NSW is putting an end to greyhound racing,” Mr Baird posted on Twitter.
Shutting an entire industry — a pastime enjoyed by thousands — was a dumb move by a Premier who until then appeared capable of doing no wrong.
Announcing the dishlicker debacle via social media — without any prior warning to colleagues or people working in the greyhound industry was emblematic of the arrogant way Mr Baird’s senior advisers had started working.
“I think Mike’s legacy is exceptional. He has taken this state from a basket case to the best in the country — but the greyhound ban will always cast a shadow, it was really very, very stupid,” said one Liberal MP yesterday.
The dogs ban was a crucial turning point in Mr Baird’s three-year reign as Premier, taking him from the position of Australia’s most popular politician — with many claiming he may one day be prime minister — to its most controversial in a matter of days.
It made him look completely out of touch. It fuelled claims Mr Baird was governing on the basis of his Christian beliefs, egged on by a tight-knit group of similarly religious insiders. Mr Baird denied this was the case.
But later, as he attempted to defend the dishlicker ban, Mr Baird made the startling admission he was making decisions without voters in mind. It smacked of righteousness.
“My hope is that over time, what the people of this state see is we’re not trying to win re-election,” he said.
“What we’re trying to do is to do what is right — to set up the state for the long term and as part of that there are difficult decisions to be made.”
The resulting backlash caught Mr Baird and his staff by surprise and the massive dive in the polls that both he and his government suffered ultimately played some role in him stepping down yesterday.
The lockout laws were similarly mishandled, adding another stain to the Baird premiership.
Forcing the early closure of pubs and clubs across the inner city achieved stunning policy results — with the number of assaults plunging across the CBD. It should have been a win.
But the laws, introduced under the O’Farrell government, were never popular and Baird tied himself to the issue inextricably when he announced — before an independent review — that he supported the hard line rules.
The fact is Mr Baird’s premature retirement ensures he will be viewed, for now at least, as a very good premier — but not our best.
This could easily change as the unprecedented infrastructure building program around the state is completed and projects like the Sydney Metro rail line and WestConnex motorway are unveiled.
Mr Baird’s greatest achievement as Premier was forcing through the sale of the state’s “poles and wires’’ electricity network, in the face of a ridiculous Labor scare campaign during the 2015 election campaign.
It was a masterstroke by Mr Baird, whose economic acumen was sharpened during three years as state treasurer and work as an investment banker with HSBC before politics.
Even with one of three power networks still to be sold, these transactions have set the state up for a generation, with the massive proceeds plunged back into desperately needed infrastructure.
Much of the work is not due to be completed until the end of this decade — and that is when Mr Baird’s real legacy will become clear.
The NSW economy is humming — the best in Australia. And the government’s finances are in good shape, thanks in part to disciplined spending.
The other success of Mr Baird’s premiership has been the council amalgamations, though the state government was not able to merge as many local authorities as it wanted because of angry opposition in some areas.
I'm retiring from politics. It's been an honour to serve you, NSW. pic.twitter.com/eFInOqoC19
— Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) January 18, 2017
Mr Baird never wanted to be a politician — a fact that gives us a clear understanding of why he is leaving now, still relatively young at 48 years old and with plenty of capacity to take on demanding roles in the public or private sectors. One source close to the Premier said: “I think the job has taken a massive toll on his life and his family — that’s a part of it he could never really come to grips with.
“But I’ve got no doubt he has a huge amount to contribute. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him return to some kind of high-profile job after taking a well-earned rest.”
There is a very strong sense Mr Baird is taking an easy, if understandable route out.
There is an even stronger sense of unfinished business; that this state government — the best NSW has had for many years — could have achieved real greatness under Mr Baird.
Certainly in his more private moments, it was easy to see the controversies of 2016 taking their toll on a Premier who once seemed capable of walking on water. In public, there were flashes of anger and impatience at press conferences where the government or the Premier himself were severely scrutinised.
Mr Baird insisted he was not interested in how people judged his time in charge.
“I genuinely came in to make a difference to people’s lives. I’ve given my best, I’ve given my all, there is nothing left,’’ he said.
THREE YEARS OF HIGHS AND LOWS
APR 2014 Replaces Barry O’Farrell as Premier of NSW
SEP 2015 Criticised for his mishandling of the NSW shark crisis
MAY 2016 Stirs up controversy with radical council merger
JUL 2016 Sparks outrage by banning greyhound racing
OCT 2016 Transforms NSW economy with $16 billion power sale
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