The good life

WHEN Tasmanian premier David Bartlett quit his job last year to spend more time with his young family, my first thought was: "So what's the real story here?"

WHEN Tasmanian premier David Bartlett quit his job last year to spend more time with his young family, my first thought was: "So what's the real story here?"

 It was the same when Mark Arbib unexpectedly pulled the plug on his political career "for his family".

As Christine Jackman notes in this week's cover story, we've grown used to the children being rolled out as a convenient excuse when someone needs to disappear from public life.

But what's to say that they didn't wake up one day, look at the family they barely know, and decide that the high-powered gig just isn't worth it anymore?

It's a sentiment many workers could relate to, but not all have the means, desire or courage to make the jump.