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Barry O'Farrell's Mini-Budget Reply video
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Barry O'Farrell's speech after Victor Dominello was elected Member for Ryde, 18th October 2008
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Barry O'Farrell on Stateline, 11th July
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- Putting the people of NSW first and putting NSW back on track
- Striving for the world's best quality of life for the people of NSW
- Restoring the services the people of NSW deserve
- Fixing NSW's financial mess
- Creating opportunity for the people of NSW through economic growth, community well-being and environmental care
- Running an honest and accountable government
- Taking a common-sense, practical approach where decisions are made on merit not politics
- Making sure the people of NSW have a real say in the policies that affect their everyday lives
- Securing a future for NSW that builds on our people's diversity and talents, and our history and traditions
Click here to read more about the NSW Coalition's policy directions...
The O'Farrell family - Barry, Rosemary, Tom and Will - live at Roseville in Sydney's northern suburbs.
Outside Parliament, Barry enjoys time with his family including his sons' weekend sport, reading about Australia's heroism in World War II, bushwalking, and following cricket.
With Tom, his son, and Liberal colleague Charlie Lynn, Barry walked the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea earlier this year.
Growing up, Barry experienced different parts of Australia, as his dad was in the Australian Army.
Barry went to the Australian National University in Canberra and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history, politics and Aboriginal indigenous studies in 1980. Barry joined the Liberal Party that same year.
Determined to make a contribution, Barry worked as a public policy advisor at both the State and Federal levels in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also served as NSW State Director of the Liberal Party in the mid 1990s.
Barry was elected to NSW Parliament in 1995 and now represents the electorate of Ku-ring-gai. In his inaugural speech to Parliament, Barry said:
"I am proud of the fact that my Party is the only political party not beholden to sectional interests. We do not kowtow to business, labour or rural interests. Instead, we represent each equally... This whole-of-community representation is what allows us to make decisions based on what is right, not on what is demanded of us."
After holding key posts, such as Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Transport Minister, Barry was elected unopposed by his Liberal colleagues as NSW Liberal Leader in April 2007.
Since becoming NSW Liberal Leader, Barry has championed several key issues on behalf of the people of NSW and forced Labor's hand on:
- improving child protection services;
- cleaning up political donations;
- protecting whistleblowers and other accountability measures;
- ensuring the public interest was served in any electricity asset sale, and;
- confronting Labor's financial mess, such as NSW's $42 billion debt - or $6,000 per person.
Barry has also led significant reform of the NSW Division of the Liberal Party to ensure it is united and effective, and prepared for government.
Tony Kelly Threat And Raising Personal Matters Out Of Line - Rees Must Act
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Nathan Rees' failure to take action over Police and Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly's behaviour during a meeting with a key stakeholder reveals his hypocrisy over ministerial standards, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
The Australian reports Mr Kelly allegedly threatened to use a Taser against an Insurance Council of Australia representative. He also allegedly raised a personal matter involving a family member.
O'Farrell Launches Website to Save Student Travel
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell today launched the website www.savestudenttravel.com.au in response to the Rees Government's decision to axe free school transport for students.
Liberal Members of Parliament and Councillors were at commuter hubs throughout Sydney this morning, speaking to angry members of the community and calling on them to send a strong message to their local Labor MPs.
Nathan Rees Must Adopt NSW Lib/Nat Plan To Restore Free School Travel
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell today called on Premier Nathan Rees to immediately scrap his plans to charge for free school travel following community outrage.
"The NSW Liberal/Nationals have announced our plan to restore the free school travel scheme by cutting bureaucratic waste and saving on CBD rents," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Mr Rees should adopt this plan instead of hitting families who are already doing it tough," he said.
State Labor Govt - They Either Don't Plan Or Don't Stick To The Plan
Friday, 14 November 2008
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today the NSW Labor Government has again been caught out making policy on the run with Nathan Rees' latest thought bubble to re-introduce single deck trains.
"The NSW Labor Government is all over the shop - on one hand it has a multi-billion dollar order to build double-deck trains, and on the other it wants to revert the network back to single-deck carriages," Mr O'Farrell said.
"The whole concept just doesn't make sense," he said.
"State Labor either has no plans or doesn't stick to the plans it does have.
"Nathan Rees and David Campbell are just making it up as they go along and that means more of the same incompetent government."
Mini Budget: Maximum Pain, No Gain, No Plan
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Nathan Rees' mini-budget slugs families at a time when they can least afford it, fails to deliver long-term solutions to the State's financial outlook and offers nothing to make NSW more attractive for business investment, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"Nathan Rees' mini-budget will slug the working families he claims to represent at the very time they can least afford it," Mr O'Farrell said.
"It raises taxes, increases tolls, lifts public transport fares, puts up the cost of green slips, cuts petrol subsidies, introduces fees for school travel and slugs business," he said.
Another Labor Minister Dumped: Nothing Has Changed Under Rees
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Tony Stewart is the latest Ministerial casualty and proves yet again Labor's arrogance and Nathan Rees' failure to raise standards, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"Nathan Rees' failure to pick up the phone and talk to his Minister for five days shows he had no intention of acting against Mr Stewart until it became a media issue," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Mr Rees clearly hoped the female staffer would simply go away," he said.
No Standards: Rees Again Dragged Kicking And Screaming
Monday, 10 November 2008
Premier Nathan Rees has again had to be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing and ensure new allegations against suspended Small Business Minister Tony Stewart are investigated, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"A day and a half after allegations involving a senior, serving police officer were first aired, Mr Rees has finally acted," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Nathan Rees would have been more convincing if he had acted yesterday and not waited until further allegations were made," he said.
Richmond Line Duplication Axed: Rees Deals North West Sydney Another Blow
Wednesday, 05 November 2008
Premier Nathan Rees has dealt North West Sydney another blow with the axing of the Richmond Line duplication, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell and Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said today.
The State Labor Government has axed the Richmond Line duplication, promised in 2003 as part of the Clearways project at a cost of $432 million. The cost overruns in the Clearways project - running into hundreds of millions of dollars - are large enough to have completed the Richmond Line duplication.
Stewart Affair: Rees' Dithering Delays Inquiry For Ten Days
Monday, 03 November 2008
Premier Nathan Rees' dithering has delayed an investigation into the Tony Stewart scandal for ten days, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
Small Business Minister Tony Stewart has been stood aside following a complaint from a female staffer.
"Last week Nathan Rees chose to stick his head in the sand over this matter. His failure to act shows he's not up to being Premier," Mr O'Farrell said.
Nathan Rees Must Come Clean
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Prior to yesterday's media reports, a message was left on my electorate office answering machine by an anonymous caller, who described himself as a partner of a staff member employed in the ministerial office of Tony Stewart, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
'Loose With Truth' Rees Caught Out Again: This Time On Senior Bureaucrat Pay
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Premier Nathan Rees has been caught out yet again being loose with the truth - this time over senior bureaucrat salary increases, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"This is an extraordinary insight into Nathan Rees. He clearly has a problem telling the truth," Mr O'Farrell said.
"After less than two months in the job, Nathan Rees has been caught out not telling the truth on several occasions - from the resignation of Reba Meagher and the hiring of spin doctors through to the privatisation of Sydney Ferries and campaign finance reform.
"The people of NSW can no longer believe anything Nathan Rees says."
Rees' Priorities All Wrong: Senior Bureaucrats Get Pay Rises While Frontline Staff Go Without
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Premier Nathan Rees' decision to allow the state's most senior bureaucrats a pay increase worth more than the annual salary of a police officer is a smack in the face to hardworking frontline staff, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"This is an insult to police, teachers, firefighters and other essential frontline workers," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Nathan Rees has his priorities all wrong. At a time when he claims the State is facing a Budget crisis, it makes no sense to put the interests of senior public servants ahead of critical frontline workers," he said.
"It confirms Mr Rees is no different from his former employers Bob Carr and Morris Iemma - out of touch, hypocritical and loose with the truth."
More Spin From Rees: Only Coalition Plan Takes Politics Out Of Ad Spend
Sunday, 26 October 2008
The State Labor Government's proposed cuts to taxpayer funded advertising fails to provide any guarantee that spending will not be boosted before the 2011 State election, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"Labor has never hesitated to use taxpayer funds to try and make itself look good before an election," Mr O'Farrell said.
"In the lead up to last year's election, the State Labor Government spent more than Coke and McDonalds combined," he said.
"That's why the NSW Liberal/Nationals' plan seeks to give control of government advertising to the independent Auditor General."
Nothing Changes: Rees Appoints Another Mate
Friday, 24 October 2008
John Lee's appointment as Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet is further proof that, despite Nathan Rees' claims, nothing has changed in the State Labor Government, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
Mr Lee, a former CityRail spin doctor, Director General of the Ministry of Transport and Chief Executive of Sydney Buses, is also the brother of former Federal Labor Minister Michael Lee.
"Mr Rees may like to claim his is a 'new' and 'changed' government, but with every utterance and every decision, he demonstrates that nothing has changed," Mr O'Farrell said.
From The Ditherer To The Gibberer: Rees Policy Confusion Deepens
Friday, 24 October 2008
NSW Labor has gone from the ditherer in Morris Iemma to the gibberer in Nathan Rees who continues to confuse the entire state with his ideas made up on the back of a lemon squash coaster, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"Nathan Rees latest thought bubble leaves the people of North West and South West out in the cold," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Confirmation this idea today had no forethought comes from the fact Nathan Rees couldn't offer any costings and couldn't offer any detailed plans other than a few lines on a map from Google Earth," he said.
Rees Squibs It On FOI Reform: Refuses To Commit To Ombudsman Recommendation
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Nathan Rees' approach to Freedom of Information (FOI) provisions underscores that he is the ultimate hollowman of NSW politics, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"It's pretty extraordinary when you even spin about FOI," Mr O'Farrell said.
"After thirteen years of a culture of concealment under Labor, Nathan Rees today specifically ruled out in Parliament adopting the Ombudsman's upcoming recommendations to actually improve openness, accountability and transparency.
"It's the hollowman approach - make it look like change but don't commit to accepting the recommendations of the independent expert, the NSW Ombudsman."
Change For The Better Starts Today
Saturday, 18 October 2008
People in the electorates of Cabramatta, Lakemba, Port Macquarie and Ryde have the chance to start the change for the better in NSW today, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"People in the four electorates holding by-elections today must use this opportunity to send the strongest possible to the State Labor Government," Mr O'Farrell said.
"This may be the only opportunity voters get to pass judgement on Labor before the March 2011 State election," he said.
"A vote for the ALP today would represent a pat on the back for a tired, rotten, corrupt and incompetent State Labor Government."
'Quite Irresponsible': Carr Blows Whistle On Labor's $42B Debt Bomb
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Former Premier Bob Carr has blown the whistle on Labor's $42 billion debt bomb while trying to blame his successors for the State Government's failure to invest in crucial infrastructure upgrades, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"The NSW Labor Government has wasted this state's economic prosperity," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Despite the national economy delivering record revenues, including $17.5 billion in windfall revenues to NSW, the State Labor Government failed to invest in critical services like water, transport and energy," he said.
"Instead Labor has created a $42 billion debt time-bomb while ignoring crucial infrastructure upgrades.
"Like Morris Iemma and Nathan Rees, Bob Carr can't wash his hands of his failures as Premier.
Spin Doctor Salaries Obscene Given Frontline Workers Wages Cap
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Redundancy payments of $50,000 awarded to two Labor Government spin doctors were 'obscene' given the State Labor Government's refusal to ensure the salaries of frontline workers like police, firefighters and teachers kept pace with inflation, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
A State Budget estimates hearing was told two former Labor Government spin doctors John Choueifate and Adam Walters received redundancy payouts of around $30,000 and $20,000 each after working for less than forty days.
The pair were on annual salaries worth $290,000 and $220,000 respectively.
The information came on the day it was revealed Nathan Rees has hired at least 19 more spin doctors - one every second day he's been Premier - at a cost of $300,000 a week.
"This pair earned in a month what many nurses, teachers and police can only dream of in a year," Mr O'Farrell said.
Protecting Clubs In NSW
Sunday, 12 October 2008
The NSW Liberal/Nationals will move to prevent clubs being forced to pay tens of millions of dollars for the State Government's mismanagement of the introduction of outdoor smoking areas, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell and Shadow Minister for Gaming and Racing George Souris announced today.
"NSW Clubs acted in good faith when renovating premises to comply with State Government new rules," Mr O'Farrell said.
"They shouldn't be forced to pay tens of millions of dollars extra because of this latest Labor bungle," he said.
Rees Runs From More Debates: O'Farrell
Friday, 10 October 2008
The Premier has rejected my suggestion to hold six town hall style debates in the lead-up to the 2011 State Election, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"It's very disappointing Nathan Rees has chosen to back down on his promise of transparency and accountability by rejecting more debates," Mr O'Farrell said.
Mr O'Farrell made the suggestion of six further debates in 2011 - two in country areas, two in the regions and two in Sydney - during a debate with the Premier last night.
Mr Rees rejected the idea out of hand.
"It just proves the Premier is no different from his predecessors Bob Carr and Morris Iemma - it's all about spin over substance," he said.
Labor Premier Thumbs Nose At Police, Teachers And Fireys
Friday, 10 October 2008
NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today the Premier has thumbed his nose at the hundreds of thousands of frontline workers being forced to take a pay cut in real terms after awarding ferry engineers a ten per cent pay rise.
"A ten per cent pay rise for ferry engineers while the State's police, teachers and firefighters are facing the prospect of a cut in real wages simply doesn't make sense," Mr O'Farrell said.
"If the State's finances are as bad as the Premier would have us believe, this is both irresponsible, as well as unfair," he said.
Westmead Morgue: Della Bosca Fails To Commit To Keeping Facility Open
Friday, 10 October 2008
Health Minister John Della Bosca has failed to commit to keeping Westmead morgue open, despite increasing demand for services in Western Sydney, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"John Della Bosca had an opportunity to review the State Labor Government's decision to close Westmead morgue, but failed to guarantee the facility would remain open," Mr O'Farrell said.
3 Million Reasons Why Labor Won't Act On Donation Reform
Thursday, 09 October 2008
Labor's greed for donations would stop implementation of any proposal from Nathan Rees for donations reform as it did for former Premier Morris Iemma, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"On the evidence of Labor's fundraising performance during the last Parliament, the ALP has collected more than $3 million since a ban on donations was proposed by the ALP 28 weeks ago," Mr O'Farrell said.
"Labor won't act because they are addicted to donations," he said.
Labor's Wollongong Corruption Scandal: State Government Failed To Act
Wednesday, 08 October 2008
The unprecedented corruption at the Labor dominated Wollongong Council revealed by the ICAC highlights the State Labor Government's failure to appropriately monitor the council, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"The ICAC makes clear that an incompetent State Labor Government was partly to blame for the wholesale corruption occurring at the Labor dominated Wollongong Council," Mr O'Farrell said.
"If the State Labor Government had been acting in the public interest, it would have blown the whistle on this corruption a long time ago," he said.
O'Farrell Urges Banks To Pass On Full One Per Cent Rate Cut
Tuesday, 07 October 2008
NSW Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney Barry O'Farrell today urged the banks to pass on the full one per cent interest rate cut to help ease the mortgage stress faced by NSW families.
"Families are doing it tough and I urge the banks to pass on the full rate cut," Mr O'Farrell said.
"With petrol and grocery prices on the rise, household budgets are already stretched to the limit," he said.
Doctor Background Checks Still Not Compulsory Under Law In NSW
Tuesday, 07 October 2008
The latest scandal involving a doctor whose background was not adequately checked highlights the State Labor Government has still not made background checking of doctors compulsory by law, NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell said today.
"Despite claims by the State Labor Government that background checks are 'mandatory', background checks of doctors in NSW are still not compulsory by law," Mr O'Farrell said.
As the 2011 election approaches, the NSW Coalition will share its full policy agenda with the people of NSW.
Our approach to policy making is practical, commonsense, based on merit and listening to the people of NSW. We believe in getting it right so the people of NSW can have the best quality of life in the world.
Since Barry O'Farrell became NSW Liberal Leader in April 2007, the following Policy Discussion Papers have been prepared for the community and stakeholders to review. Your comments on the issues and ideas raised in our Policy Discussion Papers are welcome. Click below on what you want to read.
Here you can download PDFs of past speeches made by Barry.
