Barry O'Farrells First Fifty Days

The Telegraph is running a poll on the NSW Government's first 50 days.  Fascinating to read some of the responses that pander to the papers view that Barry could change the world in that time. How is he going? Overall I thought that he was doing pretty well.  With 69 members in the LA and Labor with 20 (cross bench 4) the dynamic of the Chamber is completely changed and indeed, quite surreal.
I'm sure there's lots of Coalition members that were never expected to win and that having so many backbenchers while at face value might seem great for the Government, will in time produce plenty of problems.  Until that occurs though Barry will be able to observe and draw on some new talent, and I think he has plenty there.

The Government has gotten on with making many changes and honouring promises made while in Opposition.  One of the first things done was to put a hold on the use of Part 3A of the EP&A Act and forecast a start to reviewing ro rewriting the planning legislation.  Long overdue and very welcome.
If there is one thing that they have done wrong it has to be the un-forecast changes to the Solar Bonus Scheme.  This change which will see customers under the scheme have their rebate reduced by 20c a kw/hr is a worry not because of the reasonableness of the rate, but because it is a breach of faith and breach of contract with all those people who signed up to the deal.  Many of those were people who couldn't possibly have afforded to it without the 60c deal offered and assured by the previous government.

The Labor Party clearly got the scheme badly wrong - it was unaffordable, but how you then deal with it says a lot about the Government.  Labor got it wrong in the first place, the Coalition have got the solution badly wrong as well.  Tough as it would have been, a contract should be honoured; and to do otherwise diminishes the Coalition.  For a Government that was doing well overall it seems like a very bad early decision.