After NSW Gladys Berejiklian resigned from last week to face a looming investigation by NSW Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission (ICAC) – shocking to some, not so to others – Zee Feed readers had one big question: who will replace her? Rest assured, it won’t be Deputy Premier and NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro! The two main candidates were Dominic Perrottet and Rob Stokes. Follow up question: uh, who are they?
Here’s what you need to know about who Rob Stokes is, what he stands for and how his potential appointment as NSW Premier may affect you.
UPDATE: Stokes lost the vote in the NSW Liberal party room on Tuesday, 5th October. Dominic Perrottet has been elected NSW Premier, beating Stokes convincingly 39 votes to 5. Find out what you need to know about Perrottet here.
Who is Rob Stokes?
Rob Stokes is currently NSW Planning Minister, and has previously been the Education Minister and Environment Minister. He was elected in 2007 and represents the Northern Beaches seat of Pittwater. He has a lower profile than his main competitor Perrottet (you can read our summary on Perrottet here) although they are apparently quite close.
Stokes grew up in Mona Vale and attended Shore Boys School (frequently cited as a case for ending all-boys schools). Before entering politics, he was a lawyer and a lecturer in environmental law at Macquarie University, where he completed his PhD in law. Stokes was also previously a policy adviser for then-Liberal Opposition Leader John Brogden.
In his personal life, Stokes is a committed Anglican. Stokes is often portrayed as an environmentally conscious surfer-type, so his social beliefs are a bit of a mixed bag. He is part of the moderate faction of the NSW Liberals, which makes up about 40% of the party. The right-wing faction holds an equivalent 40%, including Perrottet, with the remainder split between the hard-right and independents. To secure the Premiership, Stokes would need support from some of his right faction peers.
Rob Stokes throws his hat in the ring to replace Gladys and everybody turns to the person next to them and says “Rob who?”.
— Antoinette Lattouf (@antoinette_news) October 2, 2021
True story.
What does Rob Stokes stand for, politically?
Here is a non-comprehensive list of Stokes’ stance on some of the key issues.
Abortion Laws: Stokes voted against laws decriminalising abortion in NSW in 2019, voting alongside conservative and religious MPs in the conscience vote. The laws did pass, despite opposition from him and others.
Negative Gearing: As Planning Minister (a department he is particularly passionate about), Stokes has been outspoken against negative gearing tax write-offs and has directly challenged the Federal Government on the topic in the past. In 2016 he said: “We should not be content to live in a society where it’s easy for one person to reduce their taxable contribution to schools, hospitals and other critical government services… while a generation of working Australians find it increasingly difficult to buy one property to call home.” He also called negative gearing an “unjust redistribution of wealth.”
Environmental Protections: Stokes is generally big on environmental conservation and protection efforts. In September 2021, he refused to declare the Warragamba Dam a critical state project because of its location within the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains. His decision alone has stopped the project going ahead for now – you can read more about it here.
Koala Protections: Remember when Deputy Premier John Barilaro wanted to destroy koala habitats so badly that he threatened to withdraw his support from the NSW Liberal Government over it? Stokes was central in re-negotiating the land-clearing rules for farmers in NSW that saw the issue resolved in March 2021, but green groups and Independent MP Justin Field said it’s still a disaster for the NSW koala population.
Workplace Bullying Allegations: In March 2021, The Australian reported that 13 of Stokes’ had resigned in 12 months over claims of workplace bullying by a senior staffer. It is not suggested that Stokes himself was the bully. NSW Labor MP Alex Serle challenged him in a on creating a hostile working environment, which Stokes denied as “rumours and smear.” No formal complaints have been filed by any of Stokes’ staffers.
Will a New Premier Affect NSW’s COVID Re-Opening Plan?
Not really. Stokes has formally stated that he would stick with Berejiklian’s roadmap if he becomes Premier. At this stage it’s expected that Perrottet would also do the same if he is successful.
How Will a Stokes Premiership Affect Federal Politics?
Stokes is a bit of a mystery – since Berejiklian’s resignation on Friday, there have been heaps of jokes on #auspol Twitter that basically boil down to: “Rob who?”
As a moderate who seems to be passionate about the environment, as Premier Stokes could be a pain for Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Federal Government who are so climate-action averse it’s literally killing us.
But Morrison & Co were fond of how supportive, compliant and popular Gladys Berejiklian was as NSW Premier. Stokes’ general likeability and willingness to negotiate with figures like Barilaro could indicate that he’ll be an asset to the general Liberal ‘brand’ when it comes time for the Federal election in 2022.
