NSW MP and former treasurer Matt Kean resigns from parliament
Former NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has announced his resignation from state Parliament, ending his 13 years as the Member for Hornsby.
Mr Kean refuted rumors he wanted to enter federal politics and said he would pursue opportunities in the private sector.
The Liberal MP made the announcement, along with his wife Wendy and four-year-old son Tom, at a quick press conference on Tuesday afternoon, just hours after Labor Treasurer Daniel Mookhey delivered his second NSW state budget.
Despite his own big news, he did not miss the opportunity to scrutinize the government’s efforts.
“Thank you for coming out and I’m sorry to take you away from the worst NSW Budget in modern history, but I have one more announcement to make,” he began.
“Today, after thirteen years as the Member for Hornsby, I retire from Parliament.”
Matt Kean hugs his son Tom after his shock resignation from politics
Mr Kean said he made the decision over the weekend and denied he had timed the announcement to prejudice the budget.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while and last weekend I made a decision,” he said.
“This is the last week of parliament before the winter break and I have no plans to return to parliament during the August sessions.”
His announcement was attended by several Liberal MPs, including Opposition Leader Mark Speakman, Felicity Wilson, Eleni Petinos and NSW Liberal state director Richard Shields.
While he said he had not confirmed a new role, he said he planned to play a role in the “energy and climate-related space.”
‘I am passionate about energy, and I am passionate about the transition (to sustainable energy). This transition is inevitable,” he said.
“I have made an impact in public policy and I want to make an impact by ensuring that not only energy users benefit from this transition, but also our economy and our environment.”
The long-time Hornsby MP (pictured with his family) has ruled out a preference for federal politics
Under the former Perrottet government, Mr Kean was energy minister, treasurer and deputy leader of the NSW Liberal Party until the Liberals lost the state election in March last year.
His resignation will trigger a by-election in his seat in Sydney’s northwest.
Although Hornsby has been in the hands of the Liberal Party since its formation in 1950, Labor won an 8.8 percent margin of victory over Kean at the last election.
His resignation comes amid growing speculation about the departure of former Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet, who holds the nearby seat of Epping.
However, when asked, Mr Kean declined to offer his choice for his successor, saying it was “a matter for the Liberal Party”.
‘A by-election is nothing new in public life. This won’t be the first by-election, and it certainly won’t be the last by-election, that’s the NSW political process,” he said.
In 2018, Kean was embroiled in a sex scandal after his furious ex-girlfriend Caitlin Keage publicly revealed his text messages to MP Eleni Petinos, telling her: ‘I need to fuck you.’
Matt Kean quit politics just 15 months after the Coalition’s election loss in NSW