It now seems inevitable that deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt will replace Nathan Rees. Her critics say she is likeable, lovely and limited. This seems to also reflect her assessment, writes NSW ALP Left insider Joe Sammaras.
Morris Iemma
Incompetence and scandal the NSW way
New South Wales doesn’t need another AFL team — its government provides more than enough in the way of spectator sport, writes Crikey intern James Pattison.
Lobbyists line up to speed date government ministers
Businesses have forked out thousands to sit down to meetings with senior Rudd Government ministers, out of the gaze of the media, as an official part of the ALP National Conference.
Tips and rumours: In which Malcolm Turnbull eats a, gasp, hot dog
A bounty of tips today from Turnbull, his vociferous staffer and Marinergate to Andrew Jaspan.
NSW to spend $1 billion on the Opera House — WTF?
The NSW State Government’s announcement over the weekend to fund a renovation of the Sydney Opera House to the tune of $1 billion is either just a furphy or an ill-conceived waste of tax-payers money, writes Nicholas Pickard.
Babcock & Brown political donations will be missed
When the helium-driven investment bank Babcock & Brown collapsed into the arms of the administrator last Friday, the major political parties lowered their flags to half mast, writes Alex Mitchell.
Reba Meagher’s tabloid return
Former NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher has re-emerged after flouncing out of the NSW Labor Government, writes Alex Mithcell.
The Terrigals’ reign of NSW bastardry is over
The NSW ALP right-wing faction known as the “Terrigals” is dead, writes Alex Mitchell.
Ethanol: Not really all that green
The production and distribution of ethanol as an alternative motor vehicle fuel source will increase greenhouse gas emissions over conventional fuels, writes Bernard Keane.
Rees is the NSW premier, whatever the press gallery thinks
A week is a long time in politics, especially if you are following the print media in NSW, writes Alex Mitchell.
Cherie Burton MP part two: Sussex to Macquarie St
Ms Burton’s entire career has been as a factional player in NSW ALP politics, writes Alex Mitchell.
Newcastle TV reader’s dazzling ministerial rise
The meteoric parliamentary career of Jodi McKay, the Labor MP for Newcastle, continues to amaze her caucus colleagues in Macquarie Street, writes Alex Mitchell.
Sydney’s Metro Line goes down the gurgler
The train standing on platform 1 is the Labor Government special service to electoral oblivion. It will be leaving at the state election in March 2011, writes Alex Mitchell.
NSW Labor swears in Rt Hon “Robbo” MLC
For the first time in recent memory, the ALP’s Sussex Street machine seems to have chosen a parliamentarian of substance and ability, writes Alex Mitchell.
NSW top bureaucrat quits with fatigue
Oops. NSW Pemier Nathan Ress has just lost Robyn Kruk, the Director-General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the State’s most powerful bureaucrat, writes Alex Mitchell.
NSW ALP: Thistlewaite to be general secretary
Thistlewaite’s background is in the trade union bureaucracy, not the ALP’s Sussex Street machine from where previous general secretaries have been recruited, writes Alex Mitchell.
Baseball bats ready at four NSW by-elections
Next Saturday’s four by-elections in NSW will show the electoral toxicity of the Labor Government, writes Alex Mitchell.
NSW infrastructure tzar takes his revenge on Rees
David Richmond has walked out of the $300,000-a-year job as NSW Coordinator General after just 18 months, writes Alex Mitchell.
Petrol heads take gold at Sydney Olympic Park
The decision to introduce car racing from December next year represents a monumental failure of policy by the Labor Government which has now been in office in NSW for 13 and a half years, writes Alex Mitchell.
Michael Costa to begin new life as a barista
CentreLink’s office in Sydney’s CBD has become crowded with new clients from the political hierarchy – Premier Morris Iemma, Treasurer Michael Costa and Health Minister Reba Meagher, writes Alex Mitchell.
Transition or challenge, either way, bye bye Nelson
Turnbull might reflect — in fact it would be strange if he hadn’t already — that the winners of Australian politics are those who let nothing get in the way of their ambitions, writes Bernard Keane.
NSW politics: notes from Ground Zero
With an honors degree in English Literature from Sydney University, Rees is anxious to restore the arts to a place of state importance and significance, writes Alex Mitchell.
Recall NSW parliament, please
The last state election in NSW presented its voters with arguably the worst choice of governments anywhere in Australia in at least the last 50 years, writes Michael Gordon Smith.
NSW the bankrupt state, in more ways than one
It’s all very dramatic of Costa to declare the state’s finances in near-crisis — he was exaggerating, of course — but we long suffering tax payers and voters have every right to ask why, writes Michael Pascoe.
Where do they find state politicians anyway?
It’s probably too much to ask for political courage and vision, writes Bernard Keane.
