IN his three years as Premier, Barry O’Farrell’s on-farm appearances were harder to spot than a budget surplus.
He flew into Dubbo in February to attend a dinner hosted by Nationals MP Troy Grant, made time to open the Parkes Police Station and visited the North Parkes gold mine.
But some claim the buffer zones around the mine’s edge were the closest resemblance to a farm of any place he set foot on in his time as Premier.
Speaking to The Land prior to today’s shock resignation, a spokeswoman from Mr O’Farrell’s office said he had been on farm visits.
“The Premier has made several farm visits since being elected.
“In 2014 alone, he has met with farmers and visited farms in Dubbo, Parkes and Tamworth.”
But the spokeswoman wouldn’t say who he visited, where he went or when it happened.
“Details of the Premier’s private meetings aren’t disclosed.”
The NSW Parliamentary Library said it was unable to find any reference to Mr O’Farrell visiting a farm as Premier or Opposition leader – except for a lone reference on Twitter in January, 2013, following bushfires at Bookham, near Yass.
Mr O’Farrell tweeted “talked to farmers near Bookham about stock and pasture losses”.
Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham asked the question of Mr O’Farrell’s representative in the Upper House, Mike Gallacher, on March 27.
“Has Premier O’Farrell visited a farm in his time as Premier? If so, when and where did he visit?”
Mr Gallacher refused to refer the question to the Premier.
“I am not going to ask people whether they have visited a farm.
“From recollection, the Premier’s wife is... from country NSW, and he has been right around the entire State.
“I do not know what he does, nor should I.”
Mike Foley
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
