New South Wales Premier quits to enjoy 'heaven on earth'

SYDNEY - Bob Carr has announced he will step down as New South Wales Premier and retire from Australian state politics, but said he had no plans to enter federal politics.

Carr said there was never a perfect time to decide when to move on but he and wife Helena had decided his had come.

"I announce my retirement as Premier and member for Maroubra, effective next Wednesday," he said.

Carr, who has been a Labor Premier in NSW for more than 10 years, declined to nominate a successor.

He said he had no job offers and, when asked if he would make the move to federal politics, he replied: "No, I don't think so."

Carr said it was only last weekend that he and Helena had contemplated him leaving politics.

The Sydney Morning Herald said he made the decision over a bottle of chardonnay.

Carr said he wanted to spend more time with Helena enjoying the beauty of Sydney and planned to have "more recreation".

 

He said he was "impressed by the notion that you can spend more of your time in a nice way".

"I find it hard to believe in heaven because Australia in 2005 is so near perfect.

"Did we want to sign up for the huge effort (in winning another election) when there's a life to be lived? The answer came up 49 to 51 No."

Carr said it had been a long journey and he had a lot of people to thank. "I thank the people of NSW, what an unbelievable honour," he said. "You put your trust in me and my team over four elections ... over the last 10 years.

"This has been a solid chapter in the Australian story, the Olympics, the environment, the massive capital works, focus on education, comforting the families of the Bali victims and to secure NSW against an attack.

"It's been the greatest honour and privilege ... ," he said.

Carr refused to speculate on who his successor would be, but it is believed Police Minister Carl Scully is a leading contender.

Carr told reporters: "I am not going to baptise a successor. I leave that to my parliamentary colleagues."

Asked if he could categorically rule out a move to Canberra, Carr replied: "Yes, I can."

"There is less to this than meets the eye. I have no plans, no job offers. I really don't know (what I'll be doing)."

The Premier's exit was as swift as it was surprising, with most colleagues told only hours beforehand.

Carr said the first day of the Olympics 2000, viewed from the 41st storey of Sydney's Governor Macquarie Tower, provided him with his happiest moment in office.

The saddest was the "devastating" funeral at Lithgow in 1997 for two volunteers who died fighting bushfires.

Carr's decision was clear-cut and cold-blooded. He bowed out in the spirit of United States Civil War President Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address - "with malice for none and charity to all", adding: "If anyone thought they were going to get through this without a Lincoln quotation they were suffering a delusion."

Many find it hard to believe that a childless, 57-year-old intellectual with a CV like his could not be tempted to try to fix the basket case that federal Labor has become. And when he ticked off his Government's list of achievements, he sounded like he was running for office rather than from it.

So it looks like bodysurfing, tramping and reading US history books, for a while at least.

Politician to the end

Bob Carr, 57, entered New South Wales state politics in 1983.

He has been Labor leader for 17 years and state Premier for 10.

He is NSW's longest continuously serving Premier and Australia's longest serving state leader.

The next election in NSW is due in March 2007.

- AAP