chicky_pie
POTATO HEAD ROXON
FOR a man being hailed as the great white hope of the NSW Liberal Party, Mike Baird seems surprisingly relaxed.
With barely nine months of parliamentary time logged, the Manly MP with the political pedigree is being tipped by many as the state's next premier.
The son of Liberal party veteran Bruce Baird, he boasts 18 years' experience in corporate finance and silenced sceptics by taking a $200,000 pay-cut when he entered politics.
And standing 185cm tall, dripping wet and with a surfboard slung under his arm - the 39-year-old Mr Baird fits the bill as a political pin-up boy.
He has a wife, three children, an exuberant dog and a quiver of five surfboards - and already has party diplomacy down pat.
"I genuinely feel immensely proud to have a jersey in the Barry O'Farrell team and I think Barry O'Farrell is doing an outstanding job," Mr Baird said in response to questions about a future leadership challenge.
He might be evasive, but others in his party are convinced he is the only hope the NSW Liberal Party has of winning the 2011 election.
"There is no doubt he is the shining light of the Left, and there are a number of people in the right who support him, and he has had one hell of a meteoric rise," one long-term Liberal said.
"Barry is looking stronger by the day but Mike is a clear contender and both sides of the party know he is a talented performer."
After nearly two decades working in banking, Mr Baird defied his father's advice to avoid politics - even knocking back a lucrative job in the Asia-Pacific region to stand in the seat of Manly for the Liberal party.
The man from the moderate left beat a tough pre-selection, won Manly - a marginal seat - and sailed straight to the front bench as Opposition finance spokesman.
However, Mr Baird recalled his father was "adamant it was a silly idea" when he told him of his plans to enter politics.
He said that his father's reaction was out of concern.
"Any father wants to protect their children. Anyone in the political process knows there is a cost," Mr Baird said. "He thought it was a far more sensible thing to stay in banking and enjoy the comfortable lifestyle."
Mr Baird conceded there have been "financial consequences" over his decision to become an MP, "but when you get to the end of your days you remember the things you have done, not the things you haven't and I think I would have always questioned if I hadn't done it".
The move to politics meant the family had to sell their home.
A devout Christian who said he "can be left-wing on a number of issues" but who voted against the stem cell Bill in the conscience vote, said there have been moments in his political career where he had wondered about his choices.
"There are times when, during the preselection and the campaign, and in the past nine months where I thought maybe this isn't something I should do," he said.
"I might have made a wrong decision, I've thought about that Asia-Pacific job in corporate finance.
"But I think that is pretty natural and, watching, I can see the immense good that can be done . . . I am wide awake some nights thinking about what needs to be done to ensure we are successful in 2011."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23006722-5006009,00.html
With barely nine months of parliamentary time logged, the Manly MP with the political pedigree is being tipped by many as the state's next premier.
The son of Liberal party veteran Bruce Baird, he boasts 18 years' experience in corporate finance and silenced sceptics by taking a $200,000 pay-cut when he entered politics.
And standing 185cm tall, dripping wet and with a surfboard slung under his arm - the 39-year-old Mr Baird fits the bill as a political pin-up boy.
He has a wife, three children, an exuberant dog and a quiver of five surfboards - and already has party diplomacy down pat.
"I genuinely feel immensely proud to have a jersey in the Barry O'Farrell team and I think Barry O'Farrell is doing an outstanding job," Mr Baird said in response to questions about a future leadership challenge.
He might be evasive, but others in his party are convinced he is the only hope the NSW Liberal Party has of winning the 2011 election.
"There is no doubt he is the shining light of the Left, and there are a number of people in the right who support him, and he has had one hell of a meteoric rise," one long-term Liberal said.
"Barry is looking stronger by the day but Mike is a clear contender and both sides of the party know he is a talented performer."
After nearly two decades working in banking, Mr Baird defied his father's advice to avoid politics - even knocking back a lucrative job in the Asia-Pacific region to stand in the seat of Manly for the Liberal party.
The man from the moderate left beat a tough pre-selection, won Manly - a marginal seat - and sailed straight to the front bench as Opposition finance spokesman.
However, Mr Baird recalled his father was "adamant it was a silly idea" when he told him of his plans to enter politics.
He said that his father's reaction was out of concern.
"Any father wants to protect their children. Anyone in the political process knows there is a cost," Mr Baird said. "He thought it was a far more sensible thing to stay in banking and enjoy the comfortable lifestyle."
Mr Baird conceded there have been "financial consequences" over his decision to become an MP, "but when you get to the end of your days you remember the things you have done, not the things you haven't and I think I would have always questioned if I hadn't done it".
The move to politics meant the family had to sell their home.
A devout Christian who said he "can be left-wing on a number of issues" but who voted against the stem cell Bill in the conscience vote, said there have been moments in his political career where he had wondered about his choices.
"There are times when, during the preselection and the campaign, and in the past nine months where I thought maybe this isn't something I should do," he said.
"I might have made a wrong decision, I've thought about that Asia-Pacific job in corporate finance.
"But I think that is pretty natural and, watching, I can see the immense good that can be done . . . I am wide awake some nights thinking about what needs to be done to ensure we are successful in 2011."
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23006722-5006009,00.html
