DUCKPOND

Don’t ask me, I just live here. First, yesterday the former Deputy Premier, John Watkins resigns, we are told to spend more time with his family. Now, today the former Premier resigns, and yes he wishes to spend more time with his family, but he could not get the cabinet he wanted, and the former State Treasurer had something to do with it and he was sacked this morning.

Now we have a brand new Premier, Nathan Rees, somebody of whom I have never heard. It turns out the Mr Rees is the former Minister for Emergency Services and is 40 years old. Wow, things move fast in New South Wales. Not only do we get a sudden storm of change in which it appears the key responsibilities of the whole State Cabinet will be transformed but we get generational change as well. Out with the baby boomers, who are now yesterdays men and women, at least in NSW Labor.

Here in part is what ABC Online is reporting on today’s events:

The political landscape in New South Wales has changed completely in the space of a day, with Morris Iemma quitting politics and Nathan Rees being sworn in as the state’s 41st Premier.

Earlier today, Treasurer Michael Costa confirmed that he had been sacked by Morris Iemma, but then Mr Iemma himself resigned when his right faction refused to approve his plans for a ministerial reshuffle and policy reform.

Carmel Tebbutt has been sworn in as Deputy Premier, but Mr Rees will not name his new front bench until Sunday at the earliest, however he has revealed that Mr Costa will not be a part of it.

Mr Rees says he recognises people are annoyed and frustrated with the State Government and he plans to make immediate changes.

He has given his first media conference as Premier and says change is needed in the state and he wants people to know that process begins today.

When I heard this news soon after 5pm, my immediate reaction, was it is a pity they all did not resign en masse. But then I am bitter and twisted, about the charade of sacking the democratically elected Wollongong City Council, instead of entrusting the outcome to the verdict of the voters they appointed Administrators until 2012. Still who knows what the polls were indicating, except they must either have been heading down, or hit the bottom.

I suspect this is just another personality drama without a policy plot, and much will remain the same.

ELSEWHERE:

John Quiggin and commenters discuss electricity privatization, and the state budget and capital works program. Now former Treasure, Michael Costa,on Stateline this evening said the capital works program in its present as “not sustainable, and that NSW was in danger of losing it triple-A credit rating. The health and education budgets were, Costa said over budge. The health budget had blown out by $300 million. It seems that selling off the State electricity assets was a measure to balance the budget.

Jason, at Catallaxy has a neat summary of Friday:

Iemma offered up his buddy Costa as sacrificial lamb, thinking that would be enough to save his neck, but the powers that be still whacked him. Just another day in NSW Labor right politics.

POSTSCRIPT:

Tomorrow, as a prescript to the projected Double Dissolution (see JQ for the forecast) there is the WA State Election in which the electors get the chance to throw the government out, and two Federal by-elections, both the result of the former ministers resigning who lost perks of government at the last Federal Election. There appears to be not much chance, or so I understand, that the Downer clone will not be elected, and every chance that there will be a new independent from Coffs Harbour and thereabouts in Federal Parliament. Meanwhile, Pete Costello lost in the corridors of the House of Reps ponders his future, and who knows what he makes of his responsibilities to his constituents.

ELSEWHERE:

There are more reports into today’s Sydney Morning Herald:

1. State of Chaos
2. How the Right turned on it’s own man.
3. Change will fool no one : O’Farrell.
4. Editorial - How Labor’s turmoil is putting NSW in danger.

ELECTION RESULTS:

Labor has burned and crashed in WA in a big way ( with the result it seems that the Liberal-Nationals will form the government, depending on the votes of the independents to secure their budgetary measures and legislation. If the past experience in NSW is a guide, and subject to the quality of the independents, this situation can work, and good government result, but it is not a given.) The Liberals have been given a sharp message in Mayo not to take  Australian voters for granted, and the Nationals have been wiped out in Lyne.

Poll Bludger and Larvatus Prodeo have the line blogging feeds and final outcomes.

Good work on the part of the voters all around I would say.