Kristina Keneally ducks for cover

Well, well, well. Kristina Keneally has ducked for cover. But she might just have given away her last vestiges of power and position - just when she needs them.

She has called on the Governor to Prorogue the NSW Parliament.

On my reading - and I stress I am NOT a Constitutional Lawyer - that means Kristina Keneally is now the Caretaker Premier.

• "The Caretaker Period
• The formal period during which the caretaker conventions operate dates from the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly until the election result is clear, or, in the event of a change of Government, until the new Government is appointed."
• Source: http://www.hawkerbritton.com/hawker-britton-media/public-affairs/nsw-government-caretaker-conventions.htm

In keeping with the style of this Labor Government, I am fully confident that they will ignore the Caretaker Conventions:

• about NOT making major appointments, 
• NOT making major Policy Announcements

As Richard Farmer put it in Crikey today:

• "Just when you might have thought, with the holidays looming, that things could not get worse with the New South Wales government, along comes a decision to try and muzzle a Legislative Council committee enquiring into the circumstances of the late-night signing of agreements to raise billions from electricity assets.
• "All this ham-fisted attempt to avoid public scrutiny will do is further reinforce the appalling reputation of this state Labor government."

This Blog pledges to monitor the actions and announcements of Kristina Keneally and her Ministers over the next 3 months until the Election on 26 March 2011 to note any and all breaches of convention, especially gross breaches which might call into question the legality of new appointments and the binding nature of "commitments made".

For what Kristina Keneally has effectively done is reduce her power from being Premier of NSW to being a candidate for re-election. So the most she can do (legally) from now on, is make "election promises". 

In my opinion, she has no idea of the full implications of what she has done.