Chapter 5: Factional plotting

As 2003 drew to a close and following Carr’s ‘generational change’ reforms in his Cabinet, in December some twenty-four NSW Labor MPs comprising the Right’ rival splinter factions - the Terrigals and Trogs met for dinner. They “quietly left the Macquarie Street precinct to dine together across town” at the Southern Italian restaurant, 'al Ponte', at Harbourside, Darling Harbour.

They voiced their anger about Carr’s cabinet reshuffle, his overhaul of the ministries, the blood letting of departmental heads by Carr’s new team (Della Bosca, Knowles, Costa, Egan) and over Carr’s new policies such as his new tax on poker machines , which had attracted outrage from the influential club industry. Both Terrigal chiefs Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi had been denied a ministry. The sense of injustice over Carr’s cronyism and desire for populism fueled a desire for factional vengeance brewed for two years after Carr's March 2003 election win.

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Chapter 4: Carr’s ‘regeneration’ sowed factional vengeance

For a populist politician, NSW Premier Bob Carr felt a personal necessity to be popular with the people and to ensure this be reflected in the media. Poor performance and public embarrassments by government departments and by his ministers reflected badly on Carr’s leadership credibility in the media and therefore with the ordinary citizen.

Carr’s personal penchant for journalism and media relations evolved into a hypersensitivity about his public image as Premier and his indirect monitoring of Sydney radio broadcaster Alan Jones is well documented. Carr’s autocratic message became clear throughout his Cabinet and right through the NSW public service - that those causing him public and media embarrassment would suffer the consequences. Carr’s autocratic management of the public service had become capricious.

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Chapter 3: Carr’s policy pendulum had reached its apex

Retired Premier Neville Wran described Carr as "the very model of a modern Labor premier, an articulate and powerful public performer who identified himself with the contemporary policy issues of education and the environment." A legacy of Premier Carr was the 'most successful Olympics Games ever' and his championing the protection of the natural environment including creating some 350 new national parks.

But by 2004, basking in the Olympic glow had allowed the State to lag economically and there were systemic problems with Sydney’s trains and with the health system.

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Chapter 2: Carr's Departure out-manoeuvred the factions
The rise to effective control of NSW Labor, by its then Centre Unity faction, emanated from the days of uncertainty and a power vacuum created when Premier Bob Carr suddenly quit mid-way through a stable NSW Labor’s third consecutive term in office.

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Chapter 1: The Rise of NSW Labor Right.

...and with those prophetic words on 3rd December 2009, the next day New South Wales’ second puppet premier Nathan Rees bowed from the public limelight.

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Former Senator Nick Minchin on ABC breakfast Today - Fri 9 April 2010: "Mr Rudd just saying ‘Oh well 36 million it’s just going to happen and we just have to work out how to deal with it, that’s ridiculous because the rate of immigration is entirely a function of federal government policy and is a direct lever over which it has all the authority it needs." For a change this ABC panel wasn't stacked by the Growth Lobby.

Both the NSW and Australian Government have upgraded Cumberland Plain Woodland from Endangered to Critically Endangered. You would assume any development that proposed to clear over 200 ha of critically endangered bushland would be struggling to get approval. We can assume nothing these days in Australia. Here is another focus where Australians need to unite to help each other get back democracy and protect fauna and flora from the growth lobby. The community has fought to save this area for nearly 20 years.See also related articles.

Carr: "I need only summarise the indictments of such high-end population growth." ..."It also spikes the cost of land and cruels housing affordability."

First it was Kelvin Thomson MP and now Bob Carr former Premier of NSW speaking out strongly about the increase of population being forced on us by Federal and State. Will this strike a chord and open Pandora's box for the government? Will the silent majority finally speak out?

In the ABC 7.30 Report of October 13th, which dealt with the absolutely critical matter of Australia's rapid population growth, Channel 2 viewers were served up with the usual homogenised glop of current journalism. Opinions were sought rather than facts and impacts researched and reported. Vested interests were glossed over in the promotion of questionable 'authorities'. Noticeably absent was the one Australian politician who has shown leadership and coherence on this subject - Kelvin Thomson. We can only suspect that the program was yet another countering of his views without allowing him a right of reply.

Kristina Keneally, NSW Planning Minister, sells out public land and the environment to Delfin Lend Lease. Now many gentle wild creatures will die the most abject deaths and 1000s of trees will give up their carbon to the atmosphere. How much more nature to be destroyed for narrow corporate interests in a dead-in-the-water economy for the grasping few? See also "Council bastardry..."

Bob Carr has proved himself capable of making very astute observations about the choices that we face as a nation, particularly in regard to population, ecology and ethics, but his policies as Premier of NSW far more often ran directly counter to those words.

Those who recently demanded the privatisation of NSW's electricity assets against the wishes of the NSW public would have us forget how much of NSW's publicly owned wealth has already been privatised and for no apparent benefit for its rightful owners.

See also: "Media contempt for facts in NSW electricity privatisation debate" of 19 Sep 08.

Comment posted to livenews.com.au
As someone pointed out, this man's legacy is one of wasted opportunities. I met the man, he is impressive, highly intelligent, a great speaker. But so what? What did he do with it? Nothing. Nero fiddled while Rome burned and Carr read his books and contemplated the metaphysical nuances of the world while his state ran into ruin, corruption and decay crept into every nook and cranny and the greatest economic and property boom of the century got p...ssed away. Shame Mr. Carr, SHAME.