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Mike Baird New NSW Premier; Elected Unopposed With Gladys Berejiklian As Deputy

3.30pm – The NSW Liberal Party has elected Mike Baird unopposed as its new leader. Gladys Berejiklian has been elected deputy leader, also unopposed.

Baird

Baird was sworn in as the 44th Premier of NSW at 6.17pm today, replacing Barry O’Farrell, who resigned yesterday after giving misleading evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Baird, 44, has been the member for Manly since 2007. He is currently the Treasurer.

Baird is the son of Bruce Baird, who was the Liberal member for the federal electorate of Cook from 1998 until 2007, and the state member for Northcott from 1984 until 1995. Coincidentally, Bruce Baird became deputy leader of the Liberal Party in 1992, after Premier Nick Greiner was forced to resign following an ICAC investigation.

Berejiklian, 43, has been the member for Willoughby since 2003 and is currently the Minister for Transport.

The parliamentary Liberal Party met at 3pm. The meeting broke up at 3.25pm. Prior to the meeting, a number of candidates for the deputy leadership, including Anthony Roberts and Pru Goward, withdrew from the contest. Berejiklian, the preferred candidate of O’Farrell and the moderate wing of the party, accepted the deputy’s position.

Statement from Andrew Stoner, Deputy Premier of NSW, Leader of the Nationals, Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services.

On behalf of the NSW Nationals Parliamentary Party, I welcome the election of Mike Baird as Leader of the NSW Liberal Parliamentary Party and Gladys Berejiklian as the Deputy Liberal Leader.

The Nationals fully support the incoming Premier and, together with the Liberals, are committed to providing strong, stable and responsible government for NSW.

As Treasurer for the past three years, Mike has helped secure increased funding for regional NSW, including a record $13 billion for regional infrastructure.

Since being elected in March 2011, the NSW Liberals and Nationals have worked tirelessly to turn this State around with NSW now creating more new jobs than any other State and new roads, rail lines and hospitals under construction.

We look forward to working with Premier-elect Baird to continue delivering for the people of NSW.

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Malcolm Farnsworth
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