Anxious Perrottet mired in ‘jobs for the boys’ fallout

For all the angst being shown by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, his government’s problems are not in the same league as the scandals that have beset the Victorian and Queensland governments for years. But in making such heavy weather of dealing with the fallout from John Barilaro’s preferred “job for the boy” as the state’s trade commissioner in New York, Mr Perrottet is giving the impression his government is disintegrating around him in the fourth year of its third term.

At Wednesday morning’s painful press conference after the resignation of NSW trade minister and deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres, Mr Perrottet needed to rule a line and move on, a practice Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has made an art form. Instead, Mr Perrottet, looking caught in headlights, cited his “moral and ethical framework” and rolled out a litany of earlier problems and how he dealt with them. These involved Kiama MLA Gareth Ward, who was suspended from parliament after allegations of sexual assault and abuse, and former minister John Sidoti, whom the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption found engaged in corrupt conduct over a rezoning matter. Mr Perrottet also mentioned former small business and fair trading minister Eleni Petinos, whom he sacked four days ago after bullying allegations against her.

Mr Perrottet’s apparent inability to steady the ship is bad for the nation’s largest state and for the national economy, of which NSW comprises about a third. On the major economic issues, the Coalition has governed NSW well, transforming it for the better since Kristina Keneally lost office in 2011. But that was lost on Wednesday as Mr Perrottet recounted his government’s chapter of faults.

Economic issues will be front and centre at the state election due on March 25 next year. And Mr Perrottet will have a good story to tell. But signs of instability in a long-term government increase the chances of a result that will see mainland Australia being governed by Labor coast-to-coast at federal, state and territory level. After an uninspiring decade-long parade of Labor leaders, Chris Minns has emerged as a credible Opposition Leader since he replaced Jodi McKay last year. But his frontbench does not impress.

After almost seven weeks of conniptions over Mr Barilaro’s $500,000 appointment, the government’s litany of woes still has a way to play out. Mr Ayres denies any wrongdoing and believes he always acted within his ministerial responsibilities. But Mr Perrottet says an excerpt of the draft review undertaken by Graeme Head into the Barilaro appointment raised concerns that Mr Ayres may have breached the ministerial code and made his position untenable. Mr Perrottet admitted what has been obvious for weeks – that the process was not at arm’s length. The new parliamentary inquiry into the issue continues. And ICAC is considering its own investigation into the matter. If it proceeds, it could be running at the time of the election.

Mr Ayres’s departure is a blow to the government. Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean, from the Liberal Party’s left, has emerged as favourite to replace him as deputy leader when the party meets next Tuesday. Under Mr Kean, Treasury officials reportedly have undertaken woke gender training that discourages the use of terms such as husband, wife, ladies and gentlemen. Mr Kean was the architect behind the NSW government’s ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, moving well beyond his federal Liberal colleagues when they were in government. During the federal election campaign he was forced to deny he was undermining Scott Morrison. Mr Kean’s elevation will annoy more conservative voters. But senior members of the state’s conservative faction seem likely to back him, if only in the interests of stability.