Minns failure to fund rail link to new airport could be costly

Since World War II no first term government in NSW has lost the next election. Can the Minns Govt create history by becoming the first one term government to do it since 1947?

While we’re not in the Queensland class where one party – usually Labor – dominate elections for generations – in NSW elected government also tend to get three or more terms from voters.

The shortest stint since 1947 was the Liberal National Government elected under Nick Greiner in 1988, which was in power for just two elections before its defeat at the hands of the Labor party and Bob Carr, who went on to break Neville Wran’s 10 year record as Premier.

Carr was at the helm from 1995 to 2005, while Wran handed over the reins in 1986.

Chris Minns is neither Wran nor Carr, both Labor Party legends, by any stretch of the imagination.

He’s smooth, and comes across as a nice chap when you meet him, but is there any substance behind the big smile, that’s the question.

A worry would be that from the moment he won the election he has talked a big game on housing but after three years it’s hard to find any success on that front.

A bit here and a bit there, but his failure to be bold on supply by reducing the cost of developing and building houses may come to bite him and the government on the last Saturday of March 2027 when the next election is scheduled to be held.

There have also been some big mistakes, from the response to the October 7 Opera House shenanigans to a transport minister who was forced to resign.

Talking of ministers, there seems to be very little talent there, in the usual way you have in a Labor Government, which tend to be littered by potential premiership talent.

Of course we think our own Anoulack Chanthivong is an exception, a quiet achiever in all of his portfolios and who we think may one day become NSW Premier.

A reflection of that reality, and as the South West Voice has constantly reminded the Premier, we have more talent from where that came from.

We’re speaking of course of the member for Campbelltown, who should have been in the ministry except for the pettines of the Labor Party’s factional system.

Well, we think that was the reason Warren, a shadow minister in the three years before Labor won the 2023 election, missed out when portfolios were handed out.

Minns could have overruled them, but he didn’t, and as a result his government has missed out the benefit of Mr Warren’s experience as someone who has served his country in the defence forces, and also enjoyed plenty of senior roles in the private sector before being elected as the member for Campbelltown in 2015.

One final thing Minns to keep in mind: oppositions tend to be invisible, especially in first terms, and that has been the case for the Liberals in the first two and a bit years since the 2023 election.

But lately the opposition has shown signs of life and taken the fight to the government.

 Minns will need to show some delivery of promises made, especially on housing, and out here in our neck of the woods, open the purse strings for a rail link, whatever kind, from Campbelltown, Narellan, Oran Park and through to the new airport.

He should have made that the number priority of his government, linking the two airports with rail, making it accessible not just here in Macarthur and South West Sydney but the entire metropolitan area.

It would ensure the success of the new airport, making Minns a Sydney and NSW hero.

Unfortunately, for reasons best known to himself, he missed that opportunity.

And now, maybe, he will pay a price when he faces the people on the last Saturday of March 2027.