Barry O'Farrell

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The Honourable
Barry O'Farrell

MP
O'Farrell at the 2008 NSW Country Liberals Annual Conference in Wagga Wagga.
43rd Premier of New South Wales
Elections: 2011
Assumed office
28 March 2011
GovernorMarie Bashir
DeputyAndrew Stoner
Preceded byKristina Keneally
Minister for Western Sydney
Assumed office
3 April 2011
Preceded byDavid Borger
19th Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
Assumed office
4 April 2007
DeputyJillian Skinner
Preceded byPeter Debnam
35th Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
Elections: 2011
In office
4 April 2007 – 28 March 2011
DeputyJillian Skinner
Preceded byPeter Debnam
Succeeded byJohn Robertson
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Ku-ring-gai
Assumed office
27 March 1999
Preceded byStephen O'Doherty
Majority29,668 (37%)[1]
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Northcott
In office
25 March 1995 – 26 March 1999
Preceded byBruce Baird
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1959-05-24) 24 May 1959 (age 64)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
SpouseRosemary Cowan
Alma materAustralian National University (BA)
WebsitePersonal website
Parliament website
Premier's website

Barry Robert O'Farrell MP (born 24 May 1959) is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1959, O'Farrell moved with his family to Darwin in the Northern Territory, where he finished his education at St John's College. In 1975 O'Farrell moved to Canberra to study at the Australian National University, where he gained a Bachelor of Arts. After serving as a party staffer and electorate officer for the Liberal Party of Australia, O'Farrell was elected as the State Director of the New South Wales Liberal Party from 1992 to 1995. At the 1995 state election, O'Farrell stood for and was elected to the seat of Northcott in the Legislative Assembly. After several years in various Shadow Ministries and as Deputy Leader from 1999 to 2002 and from 2003, in April 2007, following the resignation of party Leader Peter Debnam, O'Farrell was elected as the Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and consequently as Leader of the Opposition, before becoming Premier at the 2011 election.

Early life and background

The youngest of three children, Barry Robert O'Farrell was born to Kevin and Mae O'Farrell in the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, in 1959. He is descended from poor Irish immigrants who arrived in Victoria in the 1860s; and his paternal grandfather was an officer in the Victoria Police Force in Ballarat.[2][3] Spending his early years in North Melbourne, he moved with his family to various places around Australia; his father was in the Australian Army, having joined up during the Second World War in 1943, and having been later part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan.[4] The O'Farrells moved to Darwin during his adolescence and he finished his education at St John's College.[5]

In 1975 O'Farrell began studying at the Australian National University in Canberra, residing at Ursula College. During his second year of study, he was elected President of the Ursula College Student Council.[3] In 1980 he received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Australian history, politics and Indigenous studies and has cited Professor Manning Clark and Don Baker as major influences on his thinking.[5][2]

After briefly serving John Moore in the Department of Consumer Affairs, O'Farrell became a member of the Liberal Party that same year, and worked in the offices of two South Australian Senators, Tony Messner and Gordon Davidson.[3]

When John Howard became Leader of the Opposition in 1985, his chief of staff, Gerard Henderson, hired O'Farrell as a staffer. In 1988, O'Farrell came to Sydney to be Chief of Staff for Bruce Baird, a cabinet minister in the New South Wales government. Four years later, with Baird's backing, O'Farrell defeated Tony Abbott to become the State Director of the New South Wales Liberal Party. O'Farrell held this position until 1995, when Baird resigned his seat to move to federal politics.[2]

Member of Parliament

Member for Northcott

O'Farrell accepted the opportunity created by Baird's departure and was preselected and subsequently elected to Baird's seat of Northcott on 25 March 1995 at the 1995 election with 60.05% of the primary vote, 68.63% after preferences.[6] As the Member for Northcott, O'Farrell protested against the Carr Government decision to remove the Governor of New South Wales from Government House in 1996 and attended the rally held against it held in front of Parliament House. He affirmed this during debate in parliament:[7]

"At the end of the day we are democrats and we know that no change can occur under our system without it going to the people and the people deciding through majority support. This Parliament continues to receive each day hundreds of petitions signed by people across the State who are concerned about the Carr Government's actions over the office of Governor and over the future of Government House ... I am a Liberal. That does not mean that I am conservative ... I have respect for our traditions and for our institutions. That does not mean that I am wedded to them without good reason. If there is a better way I and other members on this side of the House will embrace that better way. But we will embrace it only if we are convinced that it is a better way, that there has been consultation on it and majority support for it, and that it will do nothing to undermine the peaceful democracy in which we live."

— Barry O'Farrell, Parliament, 26 September 1996[7]

On 14 December 1998, State Opposition Leader Kerry Chikarovski appointed O'Farrell Shadow Minister for Small Business and Information Technology. When Ron Phillips was defeated at the election, thereby vacating the Deputy Leadership, O'Farrell stood for the position and was elected on 31 March 1999. Chikarovski then appointed him on 19 April 1999 to the senior role of Shadow Minister for Transport, dropping Small Business.[8] At the failed 1999 Republic Referendum, O'Farrell voted no, and reaffirmed his refusal to support any proposal that he thinks would be less effective than the current system of Constitutional Monarchy.[9] He represented Northcott until its abolition on 26 March 1999.[5]

Member for Ku-ring-gai

When his seat of Northcott was abolished in a pre-election redistribution, O'Farrell decided to contest the seat of Ku-ring-gai, which had been vacated by the sitting member, Stephen O'Doherty, who had moved to contest the seat of Hornsby following the redistribution. O'Farrell was elected at the March 1999 election, gaining 56.3% of the primary vote and 70.03% after preferences.[10] In a further Shadow Cabinet reshuffle on 4 January 2002, O'Farrell lost Information Technology and became Shadow Minister for Innovation. However, when John Brogden deposed Chikarovski as Leader on 28 March 2002, O'Farrell also lost the Deputy Leadership 11 votes to 9 to Chris Hartcher.[11] O'Farrell then lost his Shadow portfolios. However, on 1 September 2002, Brogden appointed him as Shadow Minister for Education and Training and Shadow Special Minister of State.[8]

Following the March 2003 State election loss, at which he was re-elected with an increased 61.11% and 71.60% of the two-party preferred vote,[12] O'Farrell successfully contested the deputy's position, replacing Hartcher.[13] Brogden then appointed him on 8 April 2003 as Shadow Minister for Health, dropping his Education portfolio. After the resignation of John Brogden as leader on 29 August 2005, O'Farrell was considered the foremost contender for leadership. However, following Brogden's suicide attempt the next day, he withdrew his candidacy stating he did not believe he could ensure party unity and remained as Deputy Leader, leaving the road clear for Peter Debnam.[14][15] Debnam then appointed him as Shadow Leader of the House, Shadow Minister for Transport and Shadow Minister for Waterways on 20 March 2006. In a November reshuffle, he was dropped from Transport and Waterways and given the senior position of Shadow Treasurer.[8]

Leader of the Opposition

Barry O'Farrell with Victor Dominello, Andrew Stoner and Gladys Berejiklian outside North Ryde Public School in November 2008.

After the Liberals were defeated in the March 2007 state election, O'Farrell announced his intention to challenge Debnam for party leadership,[16] and on 4 April 2007, O'Farrell was elected unopposed as New South Wales Liberal Leader, with Jillian Skinner becoming Deputy Leader.[17] He later appointed himself Shadow minister for Western Sydney.[8]

In May 2008, following the resignation of three senior party figures, it was revealed that O'Farrell had brokered a package of reforms designed to overcome factional infighting which had plagued the NSW Liberals for years. The reforms were endorsed at a State Council meeting on 31 May. Despite the risks involved, O'Farrell's role in the reform process was seen to have enhanced his leadership.[18] In June 2008, Newspoll reported that O'Farrell led Morris Iemma in the preferred premier stakes – the first time any NSW Opposition Leader had led an incumbent Premier since May 1992.[19]

In 2008, the O'Farrell lead successful by-election campaigns in Lakemba, Ryde, and Cabramatta where the Coalition recorded the largest by-election swing against Labor in its history.[20] The Liberals achieved a swing of 22.7% in Cabramatta and 13% in Lakemba. Ryde, once a safe Labor seat, was won by O'Farrell's Liberals, with a swing of 23.1%.

On 26 March 2009, O'Farrell outlined his five point action plan at a 'Start the Change' dinner in Sydney.[21] The plan outlined policies including a Jobs Action Plan to create 100,000 new jobs, establishment of district health boards, construction of Sydney's north west and south west rail links, reform of campaign finance, freedom-of-information and whistleblower legislation and greater local control of decision making including planning matters.[22]

On 2 September 2009, in the wake of Health Minister John Della Bosca's resignation following an affair, O'Farrell introduced a Motion of no confidence on the Premier Nathan Rees and the NSW Government. O'Farrell was hoping to push an early election saying that "The job of changing New South Wales for the better needs to start today. The best thing that Nathan Rees could do is to allow the people to have their say through an early election". The motion was put to the house but defeated on party lines. Despite this, all independent members of the Legislative Assembly voted for the motion.[23]

O'Farrell's fortunes rose in June 2010, when the Liberal Party candidate, Stuart Ayres, won the Penrith by-election with a swing of 25%. The by-election was caused by the resignation of Karyn Paluzzano after she admitted to lying to the ICAC about abusing her parliamentary expenses. O'Farrell stated that "What we've seen this evening is the Liberal Party win its first seat in Western Sydney in 20 years...It demonstrates once and for all that Labor does not have a lock on Western Sydney".[24]

O'Farrell addressing a public meeting at The Entrance, New South Wales, in March 2010.

In August 2010, independent MP and Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore introduced the Adoption Amendment (Same Sex Couples) Bill as a private member's bill, which, among other things, had the purpose of giving same-sex couples the right to adopt as a couple instead of as individuals. Both O'Farrell and Premier Kristina Keneally allowed a conscience vote on the bill.[25] While initially reluctant to express his opinion, for fear of influencing a change in votes from colleagues, during the parliamentary debate O'Farrell supported the reforms: "I support this measure today ... for the sake of children but also because I don't believe our society should exclude because of gender, sexuality, faith, background or some other factor, people who have a contribution they can make...That's not the free and confident society I seek." The bill was subsequently passed by the Legislative Assembly by 46 votes to 44.[26]

In late 2010, following the government announcement of the sale of NSW's electricity assets, O'Farrell called for a judicial inquiry into the matter.[27] After rejecting a judicial inquiry, Premier Kristina Keneally shut down or 'prorogued' Parliament early to try and stop a parliamentary inquiry announced by O'Farrell.[28] O'Farrell maintained pressure on the issue over the Christmas/New Year period arguing the public had a right to know whether fair price had been achieved, why eight directors had resigned over the sale and what impact the sale would have on power bills.[29] On 6 January, Keneally bowed to pressure and agreed to attend an inquiry she had earlier called "unconstitutional".[30] On 1 February 2011, O'Farrell became the fourth longest-serving Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, after Sir Robert Askin, Nick Greiner and Sir Vernon Treatt.

On the eve of the 2011 election, ABC radio reported that NSW Labor could be facing "the biggest loss in Australian political history", with the state-wide swing predicted at between 16 and 18 per cent.[31] Asked to define himself ideologically O'Farrell told the ABC:

I describe myself as a classic Liberal. You know, ascribe to those Liberal principles but like Menzies believe that the role of government is to apply the principles, the plans, the policies to an issue that suit the times. So Menzies used to say that it must be great being an ideologue because it saves time thinking. Menzies wanted to deliver real change, wanted to deliver real solutions and that's where I put myself.

During the campaign in the lead-up to the 26 March 2011 election, O'Farrell focused on the policies of health, planning, government expenditure and longevity as well as the reputation and the ability of the incumbent Labor government to deliver. Polling indicated a large Coalition victory. The final Newspoll saw a two-party-preferred figure of 64.1 percent for the Coalition and 35.9 percent for the Labor Party.[32] O'Farrell went on to lead the Coalition to win the election in a landslide with a swing of over 16%, the highest for a general election in Australia since World War II.[33] The Liberal Party achieved an overall gain of 27 seats, while the National Party gained 5 seats, thereby achieving an overall majority in the Legislative Assembly of 45 seats. In his own seat of Ku-ring-gai, O'Farrell achieved 72.7% of the primary vote, 87% after preferences, for an overall majority of 37%, making his own seat the safest in the state.[1]

Premier of New South Wales

See also: O'Farrell ministry

O'Farrell was sworn in as Premier by the Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir on 28 March 2011.[34][35]

O'Farrell claimed a NSW Labor government $4 billion "black hole", however an independent audit of the state's finances has cleared Labor of O'Farrell's claims that Labor "cooked the books". The audit indicated that Labor was correct and that there was no budget black hole. O'Farrell has not backed away from his claims.[36][37]

Personal and community life

While working in Canberra O'Farrell became involved with a Liberal staffer. When he moved to Sydney in 1988, she joined him, and they married in the same year. They divorced within a year and O'Farrell maintains the privacy of his former wife.[38]

While working for Bruce Baird in Sydney, O'Farrell met Rosemary Cowan, the personal assistant to Baird and daughter of former National Party State and Federal MP Bruce Cowan. They married in late 1992 and had two sons.[3] O'Farrell and his family reside within his electorate at Roseville.[39] In April 2008, O'Farrell and his elder son walked the Kokoda Track.

Having been a member of Parliament for over 15 years, O'Farrell has been involved in various local organisations including Ku-ring-gai Amateur Swimming Club, the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society and as an honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Wahroonga. O'Farrell is also the Vice Patron of the NSW Branch of the RSPCA and the Sir David Martin Foundation.[5][40]

References

  1. ^ a b "ABC Elections Guide". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Marr, David (29 August 2009). "Out of the ordinary". The Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d Salusinszky, Imre (12 February 2011). "Man in the middle". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  4. ^ "About Barry". Barry O'Farrell personal website. Retrieved 24 May 2009. [dead link]
  5. ^ a b c d "The Hon. Barry Robert O'Farrell, MP". Current Members of the Legislative Assembly. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  6. ^ Green, Antony (2010). "Elections for the District of – Northcott (1995)". New South Wales Elections Database. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Constitution Amendment (Office Of Governor) Bill". Hansard. Parliament of New South Wales. 26 September 1996. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d "Opposition Shadow Ministries, 1998–2007". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Transcript of interview with Barry O'Farrell". Stateline. Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]. 13 April 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2007.
  10. ^ Green, Antony (2010). "Elections for the District of Ku-ring-gai (1999)". New South Wales Elections Database. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Chikarovski dumped as NSW Liberal leader". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 March 2002.
  12. ^ Green, Antony (2010). "Elections for the District of – Ku-ring-gai (2003)". New South Wales Elections Database. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  13. ^ "Brogden re-elected Lib leader". The Age. Fairfax Media. 3 April 2003.
  14. ^ "The lean, mean fighting machine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 31 August 2005.
  15. ^ "Turmoil at top blamed for failure at ballot box". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 31 August 2005.
  16. ^ "O'Farrell to challenge Debnam". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 March 2007.
  17. ^ "O'Farrell new Libs leader". The Courier Mail. News Limited. 4 April 2007.
  18. ^ The Sunday Telegraph. News Limited. 1 June 2008. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ The Australian. News Limited. 25 June 2008. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ "A turning point for the Libs". The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  21. ^ "Start the Change Make NSW No 1 Again" (PDF) (Press release). Barry O'Farrell. 26 March 2009.[dead link]
  22. ^ "Start the Change Make NSW No 1 Again" (PDF) (Press release). Barry O'Farrell MP. 26 March 2009. [dead link]
  23. ^ "Della Bosca scandal sparks no-confidence motion". ABC News. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
  24. ^ "Liberals win Penrith". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
  25. ^ "Same Sex Adoption" (PDF) (Press release). Premier of New South Wales. 24 June 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  26. ^ "Same-sex adoption passes by two votes". Nine News. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  27. ^ "Judicial inquiry sought". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 15 December 2010.
  28. ^ "Keneally closes Parliament three months before election". The Daily Telegraph. 22 December 2011.
  29. ^ "Keneally 'avoiding' electricity inquiry". The Australian. 22 December 2010.
  30. ^ "Keneally in power backflip". The Daily Telegraph. 6 January 2011.
  31. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3172402.htm. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  32. ^ "Labor steels itself for disaster with day to go". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  33. ^ Nicholls, Sean (28 March 2011). "History delivers ultimate power to O'Farrell". Sydney Morning Herald.
  34. ^ "New faces in Barry O'Farrell's Cabinet". The Australian. News Limited. AAP. 3 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  35. ^ "O'Farrell sworn in as NSW Premier". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  36. ^ "Black hole will soon become pothole". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 30 March 2011.
  37. ^ "Budget black hole 'not even a pot hole'". ABC News. ABC. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  38. ^ Walters, Adam (9 March 2010). "O'Farrell a 'subject of smear'". dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  39. ^ O'Dwyer, Erin (8 April 2007). "Trade-off for O'Farrell's rise: less footy with Coalition kids". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 May 2007.
  40. ^ "Leadership". Sir David Martin Foundation. Retrieved 27 August 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barry O'Farrell.
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by Member for Northcott
1995–1999 		District abolished
Preceded by Member for Ku-ring-gai
1999–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
1999–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
2003–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
2007–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales
2007–2011 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Premier of New South Wales
2011–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Minister for Western Sydney
2011–present 		Incumbent

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