Mike Baird named new NSW Premier after Barry O'Farrell resignation
Updated
NSW Premier Mike Baird has promised to restore confidence in the State Government after being elected unopposed as Barry O'Farrell's successor.
Mr Baird was named as the state's 44th Premier by the Liberals' party room after Mr O'Farrell's shock resignation on Wednesday.
He was sworn in on Thursday evening.
Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian was elected unopposed as the party's deputy leader, after Jillian Skinner announced she would step down.
Mr Baird said it was an honour to be elected the state's Liberal leader.
"I think what we have to say, and all of us will share this: we are shocked and saddened by the events in the last 48 hours," he said.
"As we reflected on it, I think there is one clear thing that comes through - Barry O'Farrell has done a great job. His legacy is positive and it's permanent."
Mr O'Farrell stepped down on Wednesday after misleading the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Tuesday regarding a $3,000 bottle of wine.
Mr Baird said on Thursday that the NSW Government was one of "integrity" and he would address community concerns about the circumstances surrounding Mr O'Farrell's departure.
"The community has spoken. They do have concerns and we will, in coming days and weeks, have more to say about additional measures to bring that confidence back in government," he said.
Mr Baird said Mr O'Farrell has indicated that he wants to stay on as a local member.
He said that ministerial changes will be considered by himself and Ms Berejiklian over the weekend.
Ms Berejiklian said she was proud to stand alongside Mr Baird, and echoed the Premier's sentiments about Mr O'Farrell.
"Mike is the best person to lead the NSW Liberal Party and I am very proud to serve as his deputy leader," she said.
"I also want to say that Barry O'Farrell and Jillian Skinner have made an outstanding contribution to the party and to this state in their capacities as leaders of the party.
"In the last few days when it has been tough, they have been stoic and amazing."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott congratulated Mr Baird and Ms Berejiklian on their appointment.
"There is no greater honour than to serve the people you are elected to represent at the very highest level, and Mike will be a fine leader for NSW," Mr Abbott said in a statement.
Mike Baird's rise to power
The son of former federal government minister Bruce Baird, Mike Baird studied arts and economics at Sydney University and worked in the banking sector for 18 years before entering politics.
He was first elected to the NSW Parliament as the Member for Manly in 2007, and within a year he had been promoted to the shadow ministry, prompting speculation then about his leadership ambitions.
Although he is from the Left faction, Mr Baird's aggressive push to privatise the state's assets had been expected to boost his support amongst the party's Right faction.
But the NSW Greens have raised questions about Mr Baird's relationship with Nick Di Girolamo, the former Australian Water Holdings executive at the centre of the current ICAC hearings, whose gift of a 1959 bottle of Grange precipitated the chain of events which led to Mr O'Farrell's resignation.
Newly-elected deputy leader Ms Berejiklian had been touted as Mr O'Farrell's favoured successor, and was widely tipped as a major contender for the leadership.
But early on Thursday Mr Baird and Ms Berejiklian issued a joint statement saying they would run a joint ticket for the positions of leader and deputy leader respectively.
Ms Berejiklian is one of the key leaders of the party's Left faction, and holds the north shore electorate of Willoughby.
Before entering parliament, she was a Commonwealth Bank executive. She joined the Liberal Party in 1991 and held the position of president of the Young Liberals.
Energy Minister Anthony Roberts and Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward had been expected to contest the deputy leadership but both bowed out of the contest before Thursday's meeting.
Mr O'Farrell announced his resignation on Wednesday in the wake of a "massive memory fail" when giving evidence to the ICAC on Tuesday.
He denied receiving a $3,000 bottle of wine in 2011 from Mr Di Girolamo, and also said he had no recollection of a 28-second call made from his phone to Mr Di Girolamo around the time he was allegedly sent the wine.
But on Wednesday morning, ICAC heard that a handwritten note from Mr O'Farrell, thanking Mr Di Girolamo for the wine, had been uncovered.
A short time later, Mr O'Farrell called a media conference in which he announced his decision to step down.
"I do accept there is a thank you note signed by me, and as someone who believes in accountability, in responsibility, I accept the consequences of my action," he said.
- The Drum: You don't need ICAC to see the lies in politics
- O'Farrell to resign over 'massive memory fail' at ICAC
- Video: Watch key moments from O'Farrell's resignation
- Blog: Barry O'Farrell resigns as NSW Premier
- O'Farrell's bottle of Grange 'not worth losing job over': wine expert
- Timeline: Why Barry O'Farrell had to go
- O'Farrell denies to ICAC he received $3,000 bottle of wine
Topics: government-and-politics, states-and-territories, nsw
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