Joe Hildebrand: Dom big on new ideas but Minns the main chance

A Premier who is a long-term visionary and an Opposition Leader squarely focused on the here and now— It is a choice between big picture ideas and bread and butter issues, writes Joe Hildebrand.

Dominic Perrottet is a big picture guy. And in the world of state politics, overwhelmingly about the nuts and bolts of service delivery, that makes him a rare fish.

The question is whether he’s a fish the voters of NSW want to land.

Perrottet’s latest policy – taxpayer-assisted savings accounts for children – is typical of his out-of-the-box thinking.

In one sense the idea is simply Dollarmite accounts on steroids but in another it shows a radical and original mind – we have a compulsory universal savings scheme for old people, so why not for young people?

It also fits very nicely with Perrottet-style conservatism: individual responsibility, provision for the future and the government helping those who help themselves.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Julian Andrews

Although of course on another level it’s just a shameless cash handout two weeks before an election.

Either way it is a refreshing departure from the usual handouts, and adds to a legacy of reforms that Perrottet will leave whether or not he is returned as Premier.

These include his revolutionary pokies reform, an effective decriminalisation – but not legalisation – of personal drug use and possession and a far-reaching tripartite urban vision for Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.

But most important is his plan for universal preschool, which he commendably fast-tracked last week.

This alone would put him in my personal pantheon of the greatest NSW premiers in history.

In short, Perrottet’s one-man show is spectacular.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet speaks during Question Time in the Legislative Assembly at New South Wales Parliament House. Picture: Gaye Gerard

His problem is that it is just a one-man show. He is throwing everything he can at this election but there is very much a sense that the scaffolding beneath the stage is collapsing.

The NSW Liberal Party’s internal woes are legion, including innumerable preselection fiascos and the mysterious disappearance of a couple of the Premier’s own brothers.

It’s like the wild west, with the sheriff rustling up a posse to hunt down them ol’ Perrottet Boys. God, I love Sydney politics.

Perrottet has also been unforgivably undermined by former deputy John Barilaro, who has left a trail of carnage the Premier is still dealing with and given Labor a barrel of political weaponry.

But scraping all that aside, we have before us a contest between a Premier who is a long-term visionary and an Opposition Leader squarely focused on the here and now.

It is a choice between big picture ideas and bread and butter issues.

In contrast to Perrottet’s expansive flair, Labor leader Chris Minns has been taciturn and disciplined.

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns. Picture: Tim Hunter.

He and shadow treasurer Daniel Mookhey have kept an incredibly tight rein on spending promises and targeted a few core hip pocket, road and rail and old-fashioned economic issues: no more tolls, no more privatisation and make trains and trams here instead of overseas.

Unlike Perrottet’s reformist zeal, this is safe and simple stuff. And in politics safe and simple often wins the day.

There is also clearly an “it’s time” factor at play, which any government will suffer from after three long terms and four short premierships. There is a sense that the government is tired and people are tired of it.

By contrast, after more than a decade in the wilderness and even more changes of leadership it feels like NSW Labor has finally shaken off the shadows of its previous years in office and the once great political powerhouse is fit for purpose once more. Certainly it has a leader worthy of leading.

But that doesn’t solve the problem of Perrottet, who in almost unflattering contrast to the rest of his government is brimful of big energy and new ideas. If Minns is indeed lucky enough to be Premier in two weeks’ time, one of the first things he should do is put his former sparring partner to work.

NSW Opposition leader, Chris Minns and Dominic Perrottet about to hand the award to the woman of the year. Picture: Tim Pascoe

The two men get on well and respect each other personally. Perrottet has already shown he can work across the aisle by hiring former Labor leader John Robertson to fix up the workers’ compensation mess.

Tellingly, Robbo – for whom Minns cut his teeth as chief-of-staff – also has an enormous amount of respect and affection for Perrottet.

A Minns government could harness Perrottet’s vision and passion by giving him a special commission as a tsar for greater Sydney or Sydney/Newcastle/Wollongong so he could develop a long term vision for our metropolis that siloed ministers and other politicians often struggle to conceive of due to the day-to-day demands of their job.

Australia is not good at making use of former prime ministers and premiers. Our citizens are certainly the poorer for it.

Surely if they are good enough to lead our country or state we can find a higher purpose for their skills than shuffling around the speaking circuit.

Perhaps then, to paraphrase one forward thinker, we will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their politics but by the content of their character.

Or maybe that’s only a dream.