Source: ABCnews
John Barilaro has resigned as NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals leader, sparking another wave of Coalition instability on a wild week at Macquarie Street.
Just days after Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s bombshell departure on Friday, Mr Barilaro fought back tears as he told reporters public life had “taken a toll”.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance also resigned at the weekend, meaning there will be three by-elections in NSW, which is battling a major COVID-19 outbreak.
Mr Barilaro said he would call a party room meeting for this Wednesday where a ballot would be held to find a replacement.
Ms Berejiklian, Mr Constance and Mr Barilaro are all leaving Parliament.
Mr Barilaro said he was done with politics and ruled out a switch to Canberra.
He said he had been thinking about walking away for a long time and seeing Mr Constance resign yesterday convinced him this was “the right time”.
“It is tough on anybody in public life to continue in this role, especially under so much scrutiny, especially media scrutiny,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Ten and a half years is a long time in politics. Five years is a very long time as Deputy Premier, I’ve taken it seriously and given everything I possibly could have.”
He said the next premier had “big shoes to fill” and he endorsed Treasurer Dominic Perrottet who last night announced his candidacy.
“I genuinely believe in his role as Treasurer [Mr Perrottet] has all the skills and all the ability and if endorsed as the leader of the Liberal Party, Premier of this state, he will do a wonderful job.”
Mr Barilaro said he hoped regional communities noticed his “genuine and tireless effort to be there for them”, especially during his time as the minister responsible for disaster recovery.
“People are sometimes quick to write off the National Party, but it’s the Nats in government who are, and always will be, the praetorian guard of common sense,” he said.
“National’s leaders have led that guard, and I am proud to be in their company. Now I am passing on that honour.”
In 2016, Mr Barilaro was elected leader of the NSW Nationals and Deputy Premier of NSW.
He is currently Minister for Regional NSW, Industry and Trade.
He said he had worked with three of the Liberals’ “hardest working Premiers”: Barry O’Farrell, Mike Baird and Ms Berejiklian.
Last year, Mr Barilaro took a month of mental health leave and admitted he thought he was “never coming back”.
He announced his leave amid an explosive public row with Liberal colleagues over koala habitat policy, which saw him threaten to tear apart the Coalition.
At the height of the conflict, he warned he would take Nationals MPs to the crossbench, but Ms Berejiklian stared him down and the government stayed together.
Mr Barilaro, who was born in Queanbeyan to Italian migrant parents, said his focus was to make regional NSW a better place to live and work.
He championed the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro legacy fund and the $2 billion Regional Growth Fund, which was introduced to help those in the bush recover from fires, floods and the pandemic.
Mr Barilaro was part of the NSW crisis cabinet and worked on the roadmap out of lockdown last year and this year.
