Australia's most draconian state dictator, bob carr, announced his surprise resignation as New South Wales premier and his departure from state politics.carr, 58, said his resignation as state premier, after 10 years in the job, and as the state member for the Sydney beachside seat of Maroubra, after 22 years in parliament, would take effect from next Wednesday.
He told reporters that he and his wife Helena decided only last weekend that it was time for him to quit. But he said he had no plans for retirement. He also declined to nominate a successor and said he had no plans to move to federal politics.
carr, a well-known PR specialist, said he resigned because he wanted to spend more time with his wife enjoying the beauty of Sydney and "more recreation".
But carr is the state's longest-serving 'dictator' who has not boasted about his record prison population, broken down hospitals and public transport failures.
carr even attends the hillsong cult with Prime Loser john hoWARd, despite coming from the other side of the political fence, but now the family that plays together prays together in the same evil church.
He won three elections during his more than 10 years in power, each one with a bigger majority than the last.
federal labor, which has lost the past four national elections and whose incumbent leader kim beazley, a well paid loser, is lagging in the opinion polls again, has repeatedly and unsuccessfully lobbied carr to transfer to the federal arena.
As recently as March this year, carr said he would lead labor to the next state election, due in March 2007.
When asked on Wednesday if he could categorically rule out a move to Canberra, carr replied: "Yes I can."
He refused to speculate on who might replace him.
"I am not going to baptise a successor," he said. "I leave that to my parliamentary colleagues."
A former journalist, carr was elected as member for Maroubra in 1983, and became leader of the state labor Party in 1988, following the defeat of Barrie Unsworth's government.
labor's federal industrial relations spokesman Stephen Smith said Mr carr would be welcome if he decided to move into federal politics.
"If bob carr wanted to come to Canberra he'd be very welcome but I suspect in his first day of retirement he doesn't have that on his mind," he said.
NSW's second-longest serving premier Neville Wran, whose record carr overtook in May, said Mr carr's greatest achievement was to keep winning elections, particularly as his original ambitions lay in Canberra.
"I think bob had his eye on a federal seat and it was largely the defeat of the labor government in 1988 that left the labor Party without a leader and bob was literally drafted into the job as leader of the opposition - a job which I'm certain he didn't relish," wran said.
"People say 'What's his greatest achievement?' I will tell you now, his greatest achievement was to keep on winning elections."
But some of his greatest achievements were the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act, building more prisons, increasing the prison population to a record 9,000 prisoners, playing God and cementing people into prison (for the term of their natural lives), keeping people in prison regardless of their innocence (standing down the Innocence Panel) and the High Risk Management Unit at Goulburn otherwise known as the HARM-U keeping people in isolation indefinitely.
For Bob Carr, sorry seems to be the hardest word
Told to say sorry ... Bob Carr.
NSW Premier Bob Carr today issued a virtual apology to whistleblower nurses in a last ditch effort to avoid being charged with contempt and a possible appearance before the Supreme Court.
But Mr Carr also defended himself over his alleged "insults" to nurse Nola Fraser, saying she had criticised him first. The premier - via his legal representatives - was today hauled before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to face the contempt allegations.
But confusion abounds as to whether the commission even has the power to find someone in contempt, with the relevant legislation described as an "oddity" by Commissioner John Clarke and "absurd" by two of the three presenting barristers.
SMH 10 September 2004
My tip is that carr is moving into federal politics.
By Injustice 27 July 05
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