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Baird considers booting Constance

With the dust barely settled after the NSW election, Premier Mike Baird is now weighing up his options for a new-look cabinet to be sworn in later this week.

Mr Baird won’t be drawn into “cabinet bingo” but has confirmed that front bench changes are on the cards.

“The team that we put together will be one that this state will be very proud of,” he told Macquarie Radio.

Gladys Berejiklian, who has had a solid run in the transport portfolio, is reportedly interested in the treasury job.

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The treasurer will be a key in the next term of parliament as they will oversee Mr Baird’s electricity leasing plan.
 According to convention, Ms Berejiklian can choose her own ministerial position as she is the Liberal Party’s deputy leader.

Although Mr Baird will have the final say, Liberal insiders say Ms Berejiklian will be the new treasurer if she wants the job. 
Standing in her way is Andrew Constance, who replaced Mr Baird as treasurer in April last year.

If Ms Berejiklian does push for the treasury role, Mr Baird will likely be forced to find another role for the ambitious Mr Constance.
 He could be moved into health, although a number of Liberal figures told AAP that a demotion for Jillian Skinner, who has held the health portfolio since 2011, would be highly unlikely given how well she has performed.

Attorney-General Brad Hazzard may also be in the firing line and Planning Minister Pru Goward may be shifted sideways.

The other tricky issue facing a re-elected Mr Baird is negotiating with the Nationals on the new-look ministry.
The Liberals have been agitating to wrest the education portfolio, now held by Adrian Piccoli, from the Nats.

Nationals Leader and former policeman Troy Grant may try to pick up the police portfolio although incumbent Stuart Ayres did well to fend off a resurgent Labor in Penrith.

The next item on Mr Baird’s agenda after deciding on his front bench will be finalising his power privatisation legislation.
 Although the final make-up of the upper house is still not certain, Mr Baird will likely have to negotiate with the Christian Democrats.

CDP leader Fred Nile says he’ll only support the plan if the government gives assurances that jobs won’t be cut in the electricity sector and that power prices don’t rise.

Mr Baird insists Saturday’s election victory has handed him a mandate to lease 49 per cent of the state’s poles and wires.

But Labor Leader Luke Foley has dismissed the claim, saying the election result was down to Mr Baird’s popularity and voters’ reluctance to fully back Labor.

The new cabinet is expected to be confirmed by the Liberal party room on Wednesday morning.

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