NSW Premier Mike Baird announces retirement on Twitter

NSW Premier Mike Baird has confirmed on Twitter that he was retiring after serving as a politician for 10 years. He said that the government needed a refresh but he did not include himself. He added that he believed it is the right time to hand over the position to a new premier.

In the statement released via Twitter, Baird recalled his speech in 2007 where he said that he entered politics to make a difference in people. He noted in the statement that he did not enter politics to become another career politician. He pointed out that he was making good at it by highlighting the improvement of NSW compared to its status 10 years ago.

According to Baird, the current government has improved during the time of his service. He said that more money has been invested in hospitals, which built nine new hospitals just in 2016. He said that additional budget was also invested in schools. Crime statistics continued to remain low and the unemployment rate is low at 4.9 percent. He added that rail and roads construction are still in progress.

He said that NSW was an economic basket case a decade ago. He claimed that schools and hospitals were under funded while the budget was heavily in deficit. He added that the roads and rail lines were totally neglected.

Baird did not forget to give thanks to the people who trusted him. "Thank you to everyone in NSW for placing their trust in me, and in this government, at the last election. You chose hope over fear, and your trust was well placed - the government is delivering on its promises, Baird said."Thank you particularly to the people of Manly. I’ve door-knocked most of your homes, been chased down some of your driveways… and I’ve tried my best to serve you every day since you first elected me."