Mike Baird retires: is our political culture too brutal for talent?

Premiere Mike Baird hugs his wife surrounded by his family after his announcement. Picture: Dylan Robinson.

Serious questions need to be asked about our political culture following the surprise resignation today of Mike Baird.

NSW is about to get its seventh Premier in ten years — this is too many, in terms of stability and planning.

It replicates the instability at the federal level, where Australia has had five Prime Ministers in seven years.

If headhunters — rather than politicians — were asked to find the next Premier of Australia’s largest state and economy, they would be looking for certain qualifications.

They would want someone who has experience at a high level in business; is young enough to still have the energy for a tough job; is moderate rather than extreme; has the ability to appeal to a wide audience; and is a considered thinker.

They would want someone like Mike Baird.

Mike Baird: from Premier to NAB

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Likewise, if headhunters were looking for the next Police Commissioner of NSW, they could well settle on Nick Kaldas.

Kaldas, the former Deputy Police Commissioner, has more experience in counter-terrorism than almost anyone in Australian policing at a time when Australia has a problem with young jihadists wanting to travel to the Middle East or to conduct terrorism in Australia.

Yet Kaldas has left the force, having been overlooked for the top job, and now works in Amman, Jordan.

So why have we lost people like Kaldas, and Baird to public life?

Baird, only 48, continues to be highly employable — if he so chooses, he can walk into a highly-paid position in the business world, particularly while his side of politics remains in power.

One got the impression from his news conference today that Baird thinks the cost of being in politics is simply too high.

He made clear that he has not been able to spend the time he wants to with his parents and sister during difficult health times.

Baird certainly made some political mistakes.

His sudden decision to ban greyhounds, without thinking through the consequences, used up enormous political capital.

His merger of various local councils also caused far more political damage and dislocation than it was worth in terms of financial dividends.

Baird made clear that the health issues faced by his father, Bruce, and sister, Julia, were a factor in wanting to get out of the pressure-cooker of politics.

Bob Carr — the longest serving premier of NSW — reacted to the news today by saying that Baird deserved enormous credit for selling the state’s electricity infrastructure — the so-called “poles and wires.”

He said he also deserved credit for controlling spending and financial management.

Mike Baird lasted only two years and nine months in the job.

We need to question whether the political culture has become so unforgiving and so brutal that people of real talent either do not want to enter it or do not want to remain in it.