Tripodi loyalists rewarded - what's changed Premier Rees?
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Tuesday 17 November 2009
The Monday morning conversation starter "Did you have a good weekend?" is a no brainer when it comes to Premier Nathan Rees this week. You would have to imagine that he is still smiling after the NSW Labor Conference.
The Monday morning conversation starter "Did you have a
good weekend?" is a no brainer when it comes to Premier Nathan Rees. You would
have to imagine that he is still smiling after the NSW Labor Conference.
His top-secret plan to shift decision-making about who makes up the Labor cabinet from the caucus to himself, followed up by the move to sack Ministers Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald, sailed through without a hitch.
Most of the headlines have been favourable. And for the first time he is being presented as a leader in his own right, not behoven to any power brokers.
But what difference does it make to the people of NSW? Will the Labor government now reverse the damaging policies it has inflicted on the state in recent years and is Mr Rees a born again premier truly in charge of his destination and that of the state.
The answers to those questions are easily revealed from an examination of the portfolio distribution in the new cabinet.
As the dust settles on the weekend's political executions we can see that Tripodi's power base has barely changed. While the former Finance Minister now has more time to spend with his mentor Eddie Obeid you would hardly say they were languishing on the backbenchers.
These two have a stable of loyal ministers who have just been given more work.
Tripodi's key portfolios have gone to MPs very close to the sacked minister. Kristina Kenneally is now the Minister for Infrastructure as well as Planning, while her factional colleague Michael Daley has had his workload expanded to include Finance as well as Police.
Another right wing ally Treasurer Eric Roozendaal picks up state development.
So while the Tripodi / Obeid faction would be licking their wounds after the slaying of their ministerial leader their influence has not diminished.
The political executions of two unpopular ministers may in time be seen as an elaborate case of Labor spin if the Premier does not follow through with far reaching policy changes.
Everyone would have their top asks. These are mine.
His top-secret plan to shift decision-making about who makes up the Labor cabinet from the caucus to himself, followed up by the move to sack Ministers Joe Tripodi and Ian Macdonald, sailed through without a hitch.
Most of the headlines have been favourable. And for the first time he is being presented as a leader in his own right, not behoven to any power brokers.
But what difference does it make to the people of NSW? Will the Labor government now reverse the damaging policies it has inflicted on the state in recent years and is Mr Rees a born again premier truly in charge of his destination and that of the state.
The answers to those questions are easily revealed from an examination of the portfolio distribution in the new cabinet.
As the dust settles on the weekend's political executions we can see that Tripodi's power base has barely changed. While the former Finance Minister now has more time to spend with his mentor Eddie Obeid you would hardly say they were languishing on the backbenchers.
These two have a stable of loyal ministers who have just been given more work.
Tripodi's key portfolios have gone to MPs very close to the sacked minister. Kristina Kenneally is now the Minister for Infrastructure as well as Planning, while her factional colleague Michael Daley has had his workload expanded to include Finance as well as Police.
Another right wing ally Treasurer Eric Roozendaal picks up state development.
So while the Tripodi / Obeid faction would be licking their wounds after the slaying of their ministerial leader their influence has not diminished.
The political executions of two unpopular ministers may in time be seen as an elaborate case of Labor spin if the Premier does not follow through with far reaching policy changes.
Everyone would have their top asks. These are mine.
- Scrap part 3A and restore the Planning Environmental and Assessment Act to the world-class legislation it was when introduced in 1979.
- Close the Eden Woodchip Mill with an industry-restructuring plan so the workers gain local employment in sustainable forest industries.
- Provide growth funding to rebuild the publicly owned TAFE system as the
dominant provider of vocational education and training, and end casualisation of
TAFE employees.
