Baird resigns

The Herald reports:

Close to tears, New South Wales premier Mike Baird has revealed the ill health of his parents and sister has contributed to his shock decision to resign.

Baird unexpectedly released a statement on Twitter this morning saying that after 10 years in politics, he had decided to retire from public life.

At a media conference in Sydney soon after, an emotional Baird said the ill health of his parents and sister had contributed to the shock decision.

“There is a strong personal cost that comes in public life,” he said.

There certainly is. But still unusual to resign after less than three years as Premier.

Unlike Key who left with very high approval ratings, Baird had got quite unpopular by giving in to the wowsers. He tried to ban greyhound racing and introduced liquor laws that killed off Sydney nightlife and have been very unpopular. Everything the Police and public health activists have been demanding in NZ they got in NSW, and it has killed Sydney nightlife.

It is a lesson to NZ politicians who might be tempted to do the same.