Barry O’Farrell has announced his resignation as NSW Liberal leader and Premier, following evidence tendered at the ICAC inquiry this morning of a thank you note he personally wrote to Nick Di Girloamo for a $3000 bottle of Grange, something yesterday he denied any knowledge of receiving.
While O’Farrell told a press conference this morning he still can’t “recall receipt” of the bottle, nor what happened to it, he did accept he had signed the thank you note and, as a result, will “accept the consequences of my actions”.
So who’s next in line for the NSW Libereral leader position?
Well, we can’t be entirely sure. O’Farrell appeared genuinely surprised to be questioned about the bottle of Grange during his appearance at the ICAC inquiry on Tuesday. But we thought we’d put up our pick from the small number of women (six) serving in O’Farrell’s full 22-member cabinet. Gladys Berejiklian.
Berejiklian served in opposition for years before seeing her party finally elected and becoming the Minister for Transport, a significantly difficult-to-please-the-general- public job, given the current state of Sydney’s transport system. It’s no easy task managing Sydney’s bus, train and ferry services and yet Berejiklian’s not only managed to survive but assist in making small incremental improvements to the service.
However, Berejiklian hasn’t fully escaped controversy herself, being accused of misleading parliament last year for employing a former colleague to offer “strategic advice”
Other women serving in the full minister include minister for health Jillian Skinner, the Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson, the Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Women Pru Goward, Minister for the Environment Robyn Parker and the Minister for Sport and Recreation Gabrielle Upton.
Could any be up for the job?
And what do you think of Barry O’Farrell’s resignation?