NSW Premier Mike Baird resigns: “There is a strong personal cost that comes with public life”

The NSW Premier Mike Baird will retire from parliament half-way through his government’s term. Just after 9am this morning, Baird shared a statement on Twitter announcing his shock resignation which will take effect after a Liberal party room meeting next week.

During a short press conference later on, he said that there is a “strong personal cost” that comes with public life and that his parents and sister Julia Baird are experiencing serious health challenges.

“There is a strong personal cost that comes in public life. I’ve probably felt that more than any other time in the past few months. My father and my mother and my sister are going through very serious health challenges and, to be honest, at times I have been in pain not being able to spend the time that I should. And this will change today,” he said.  

Baird was visibly upset discussing his family’s health challenges: his father has recently undergone open-heart surgery, his mother is in 24 hours care due to muscular dystrophy and Julia Baird has experienced a recurrence of cancer. 

I’m retiring from politics. It’s been an honour to serve you, NSW. pic.twitter.com/eFInOqoC19

— Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) January 18, 2017

Baird says he has decided it’s the “perfect time” to hand over the reins to a new Premier. 

“As I have reflected on the approaching halfway mark of our current term of government, and the opportunity it presents to refresh the Cabinet team, I have decided that this is the perfect time for me to hand the reins over to a new Premier,” his statement read. “Serving as Premier of NSW has been a tremendous honour, but I have made clear from the beginning that I was in politics to make a difference, and then move on. After 10 years in public life, this moment for me has arrived.”

Baird joined state parliament in 2007 after a successful career in the private sector. He became premier in 2014 following the shock resignation of Barry O’Farrell who fell on his sword over an expensive bottle of wine he forgot he was gifted by the Australian Water Holdings CEO Nick Di Girolamo.

In March of 2015 Baird comfortably won the state election.

Baird’s statement says all positions in the government will be spilled next week, after which Baird will retire from politics. The State treasurer Gladys Berejiklian is considered among the likely candidates to become the new premier.