By Matthew Moore
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on August 25, 1992
REGRETS? I’VE HAD A FEW, ADMITS CHEERFUL GREINER
Two months has been long enough to temper much of the bitterness. Nick Greiner’s forgiving spirit would still see him bid hello to Terry Metherell if he bumped into him in the street; but no, he would not ask him home for dinner.
“Relaxed with the world...” Nick Greiner at his press conference at the State Office Block on August 24, 1992. Credit: Greg White
In the Premier’s media room that still feels like his, the former Premier called a last media conference yesterday, to get a few things off his chest and to summarise, one last time, what he believes have been his achievements.
He has recovered from the hurt and disappointment of being forced from office, and is now “relaxed with the world”.
For most of the hour-long chat, he was cheerful and almost relaxed. But there are still issues that prickle - the three Independents, the media, the lack of support from the Liberal Party in his last days, Bob Carr and, of course, Mr Temby’s ICAC report.
But Mr Greiner stressed his achievements.
The first was increasing integrity in NSW. “NSW was regarded as crook as Rookwood right around Australia ... Some of that perception was a make-up, some was true. The important thing is that both the reality and the perception of that have changed and I would like to think in my lifetime they won’t change back.”
Mr Greiner raised the accountability and integrity of NSW’s main public institutions and changes to the State’s finances as among the major achievements of his term.
And the work that he and Bob Hawke did on new federalism had led to Australians thinking more about what was good for the country than for their own particular part of it, he said.
He also said the NSW Parliament was running better now that it had when he was in Opposition. Some of the credit for this should go to the Independents, although in almost his next breath they were condemned for denying him natural justice in threatening to vote against his Government if it did not dump him as leader.
When Mr Greiner was elected, he promised he would not emulate leaders like Fraser and Wran whom he scorned for doing little in office that did not seek to bump up their popularity ratings.
His regrets, he revealed yesterday, were what he had left undone. The one area he “very much regretted” not moving on was health policy, where he wishes he had forced through contracting arrangements for medical and non-medical services, reorganisation of health boards and a series of other changes. He revealed the then Minister for Health, Mr Peter Collins, was opposed to rapid change and that such change would have chewed up political capital that the then Minister for Education, Dr Terry Metherell, was spending at a rapid rate
The State Bank should have been sold in 1988, the school bus pass system should have been changed and the Eastern Creek motorcycle track should have been handled better.
Mr Greiner claimed he did not bear any grudges against the Liberal Party. But later he revealed he had hoped for more from his party room colleagues who bowed to calls from the Independents that he resign.
A few regrets.... Mr. Greiner at his farewell news conference yesterday. August 24, 1992.Credit: Greg White
“Politicians are just human beings; they are worrying about losing jobs. It’s a human trait. I think the party should have taken that more robust approach. And they knew what I thought.
“It was clear the majority of them, certainly a majority of the Liberal Party and a majority of the Cabinet, did not want to take that risk. I can totally understand the desire of a political party to avoid the risk of losing office.”
It was the National Party which received his praise - “a pillar of strength for the Coalition”.
Mr Greiner was appointed to the board of Stockland Holdings yesterday. He will maintain some public profile, giving speeches on occasion and keeping in touch with the Government.
“I will happily have a sandwich in the luxurious flat that’s provided for him (the Premier). I will provide my views for whatever they are worth. I don’t see myself as an unpaid political consultant. I certainly shan’t be taking an upfront political position.”
Mr Greiner would not take a job from the NSW Government right now, but he”would certainly not rule out” a public sector job in the future, perhaps overseeing preparations for the 2000 Olympic Games should Sydney win the bid.
Mr Carr said yesterday the Opposition was opposed to Mr Greiner or any other political leader taking this job because they would be too divisive. The appointment would be “absolutely explosive” and would “compensate and reward Mr Greiner for his role in the Metherell affair”.
Mr Greiner said he did not believe that former politicians or party officers should be automatically precluded from taking any public sector job. Had the former Attorney-General, Mr Dowd, QC, wanted a job as a judge, Mr Greiner would have supported an application.
On the appointment of Dr Metherell to the Public Service, Mr Greiner insisted again it was “absolutely morally right”.
“It was a real job for a person who was genuinely qualified for it.
“I had absolutely no moral qualms about it whatsoever and no legal qualms about it.”
He rejected suggestions that he and Mr Fahey differed on this matter. The only error he would concede was misjudging public and media reaction.
And he dismissed Mr Temby’s view that the media were doing no more than following public outrage over Dr Metherell’s appointment.
“One part of Mr Temby’s report that was pretty humorous was the suggestion that the media was just following public opinion ... that’s just a matter of opinion and he’s entitled to that.”