NSW is a basket-case state run by an accidental Premier.

Now the dogs are barking again about the future of the unassuming neophyte Nathan Rees, who was gift-wrapped and dumped into the Premier’s office by the NSW Labor right last September. As Crikey speculates today, “a chariot is being polished to transport Health Minister John Della Bosca to the top job”.

There’s quite a bit of internal party engineering required before that chariot can start running. But until the pleasantly ineffective Rees is returned to sender, the most important Australian state will remain mired in a leadership and economic mess.  A stronger leader like Della Bosca almost certainly won’t solve the immense problems besetting NSW — an election and change of government is required for that particular miracle — but at least the removal of the accidental Premier will create a slightly more credible facade.  Which, given the state of NSW, would be a start.