Dominic Perrottet has been doing some soul-searching.
Over the past few days, the premier has been reflecting on how his Catholic faith influences his policy decisions during a bruising debate on gambling reforms.
He now says he was wrong to say that it does not have an impact on how he forms his views.
“The more I thought about it, I was wrong, what I said,” he said.
“Certainly my upbringing and my faith has had an impact.”
A week ago, ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis was sacked because he linked the premier’s Catholicism — his “conservative Catholic gut” as it was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald — to his motivation for gambling reform.
The premier responded by saying the comment was “incredibly inappropriate and offensive”, but also claimed that his views were “not informed by the fact that I’m Catholic”.
Now that the dust has settled, he says the drive that comes from his faith is “a good thing, not a bad thing”.
“It has developed in me a sense of social justice, looking after vulnerable people,” he said.
“I don’t think that is something I should be ashamed of.”
The premier has now unveiled his plan to turn poker machines cashless.
He had to first secure its passage through cabinet, which threatened to be tough after some internal tension about the plan spilled over publicly.
When asked why gambling reform has become a priority for him, Mr Perrottet points back to his time as treasurer.
“The billions of dollars in revenue received from gambling always … kind of stuck with me,” he said.
“We were receiving revenue and profit off people’s misery.”
He is aware — based on internal political polling — his push for gambling reform is not likely to be a major vote changer in the election.
“So what? You don’t run for public office because the polling says you should do something. I’m here to do what is right.”
Mr Perrottet has been the state’s 46th premier since October 2021.
The father-of-seven had long been the Liberal heir apparent, but his ascent came swiftly after Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation over a corruption investigation.
The Epping MP had just turned 39 when he took the top job, making him the youngest New South Wales premier.
He’s also the fourth leader since the Coalition took office in 2011.
The now 40-year-old points to his stamp duty reform, his plan for a pre-kindergarten year for all four-year-olds and his flood recovery work as notable achievements of his premiership.
He says the floods, especially the devastation in Lismore last March, “personally impacted” him.
“I think that spurred me on to make changes to get everybody back on their feet, to look at new ways of doing things as well, so we didn’t just rebuild in the same way.”
But he also concedes he’s made “mistakes” over the past 15 months.
“Politics is not easy. It’s difficult and there will always be the external events and mistakes get made.”
The Perrottet government has been locked in industrial conflict with rail workers, teachers and nurses, his premiership has also been marred by factional infighting, and he apologised after revealing he wore a Nazi costume to his 21 birthday party.
He also dealt with opening up after COVID-19 and the Omicron wave.
“I haven’t got everything right in the time I’ve been in politics, but you learn from it.
“You’ve got to constantly check yourself and reflect on the way you approach issues. I’ve done that over my time, and I’m sure that I will make more mistakes going forward that’s just part of any job.”
Perhaps the most harm to his government was caused by the appointment of the former deputy premier John Barilaro to a lucrative trade posting in New York last June.
When the role was announced, the premier declared his former colleague would do a “brilliant job”, but the controversy escalated and engulfed his government for more than six weeks.
“In relation to that period, people say it dragged on too long,” he said.
“It did. It shouldn’t have. But that’s ultimately because I set up an independent review process.”
The independent review found the appointment process was “flawed” and problematic”, while a parliamentary inquiry, led by Greens and Labor, has found it had “all the trademarks of a ‘job for the boys’ position”.
The government is now facing fallout from an auditor-general report into bushfire recovery grants from 2020.
It found John Barilaro, as deputy premier, intervened in a process that excluded all Labor-held seats from receiving money.
Most of the devastated areas in the Black Summer bushfires were in Coalition-held seats, but projects in the Labor areas of the Blue Mountains and Tenterfield potentially missed out on funding because of Mr Barilaro’s decision to change the guidelines.
Mr Perrottet has handed the report to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
“I’ve done so much in my time as premier in relation to sweeping reforms and integrity measures,” he said.
“One of the first things I did when I became premier was do a review of grants administration and we’ve changed the ministerial code of conduct in relation to that.”
If the government is returned in March, the premier has pledged to put more women in leadership positions.
Women make up six of his 24-person cabinet.
It’s an even split between Liberal and National women, but none of the Liberals are senior ministers or in the leadership team.
“I know our governments are better served with that diversity and I think we’ve made some headway. I think that’s good.”
There has been an opportunity to boost female representation within the party’s ranks due to nine MPs retiring at the March election.
Seven are men.
But after the preselection process, the status quo remains with seven men and two women running to replace the group.
The premier ensured there was gender parity in the six winnable positions on the party’s upper house ticket, but it was only a net gain of two women.
Communities and Families Minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones was put on the ticket, but she was only halfway through her eight-year term, and the remaining four years of her sitting period will go to a male MP.
“Progress takes time. There’s a journey ahead of us. I’m happy with where we are at,” the premier said.
There will also be a number of new faces on the Coalition frontbench if he wins because there are five ministers bowing out at the election.
They include the senior and experienced ministers Brad Hazzard, Rob Stokes, Victor Dominello and David Elliott.
“Yes the team will look different, that’s a good thing. Renewal is good.”
After 12 years in government, Mr Perrottet insists there’s still more to do.
“I didn’t run for parliament just to be focused on the election, I want to set our state up for the next generation and that’s what you’ll see.”