Premier Mike Baird acknowledges tide of public support turning against his government
ABC News
24 March 2016



New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has acknowledged the tide has turned against his Government, as it approaches the one-year anniversary of the state election.   

"I think that's a natural thing: The longer you are in government the more people are going to respond, the more decisions that you're making ... some of them not popular," Mr Baird said.

Mr Baird has been prolific on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook selling the NSW Government's policies.

In the first six months of his time in office, the comments made by readers on social media were overwhelmingly positive, but in the past six months that has changed dramatically.

In February this year, he wrote a post praising the lockout laws.

"Now, some have suggested these laws are really about moralising," Mr Baird told the ABC in an interview.

"They are right. These laws are about the moral obligation we have to protect innocent people from drunken violence."

He was bombarded with negative comments including: "Of course crime rates lower when there aren't any people! Correlation not causation, look it up Mike Baird. You should revise this draconian law if you want a chance at getting voted back in."

The reforms restricted the sale of alcohol and operating hours for pubs and clubs in Sydney's centre, forbidding bottle shops from selling alcohol after 10:00pm and restricting licensed venues in Sydney's CBD and Kings Cross from allowing new patrons in after 1:30am.

An independent review was called into the new laws in the wake of the backlash, but Mr Baird's views on how well the laws have worked are now well documented and he is standing by them.

"I think they're the right things for the people of this state," he said.

"It is inevitable, the longer you go, the more people are going to criticise and you just have to accept it."


The Premier said he did not regret using social media to sell his policies.

"Every decision you make some people will be upset, and some people will protest against it for a short time or a long time," he said.

"My hope is what people are seeing is we are governing in the majority."

The Government's decision to amalgamate local councils has also been deeply unpopular with many residents outraged at the Government's decision.

Woollahra council is taking legal action against the Government because it does not want to merge with Waverley or Randwick councils.

Mr Baird conceded it might be unpopular but stood by the move to merge councils.

"There's no doubt this might not be popular but it's the right thing to do," he said.

"We've spent a lot of time consulting with communities across the state and the local government sector, they acknowledge that two-thirds of councils have expenditure greater than revenue and the only way to fund that is increase rates and I don't think that's sustainable."

Mr Baird said his greatest achievement over the past 12 months had been the infrastructure the Government had started building, including the north-west rail link and WestConnex.

Baird is doing what is typical of all governments ... make all the unpopular decisions in the first year, then spend the next two years apologising for them, telling people how you had to do it, all while handing out the bribes for the next elections so they can win and do it all over again

I didn't realise it was an issue. I haven't heard anything about it up here. Once they amalgamate a few of the local councils into regional, perhaps then they can abolish the states . Taxpayers would save billions with the reduction in politicians living of the teats of taxpayers

oh dear wrote on Mar 24^th, 2016 at 6:50pm:



I don't know why the libs even bother with these reports ... they either rig them to say what they want them to say, or they ignore them. Regardless of what the report says Baird will go ahead and try to amalgamate some of the councils.

The only thing that may stop him is the polls.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 25^th, 2016 at 6:12am:


No. It's not.

What frigging universe are you in?

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 25^th, 2016 at 6:12am:


I doubt that you will ever bridge the gap between your bias and reality.