Nathan Rees

Nathan Rees (born 12 February 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009.

Rees was born in 1968 in Western Sydney to parents Daryl and Frances, his mother being a longtime member of the Labor Party, reportedly from Penrith, New South Wales.

He attended Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School where he served as school captain.

On leaving school he initially took up a horticultural apprenticeship and worked as a greenskeeper for Parramatta Council.

Subsequently he went on to study English literature at the University of Sydney, attaining an honours degree in 1994, supporting himself by working as a garbage collector at the same council.

During his time at the Council he became Secretary of the then Municipal and Shire Employees Union.

Rees was a long-distance runner, and a member of the Parramatta Cycling Club, where he won many events.

When training for races, Rees would cycle up to 1,000 km per week.

He once attained third place in a state triathlon.

Rees's first job in politics was in 1995, when he became an adviser to the then deputy premier Andrew Refshauge, for whom his mother, Frances, worked.

During this period, Rees cycled between Bullaburra in the Blue Mountains, where he lived at the time, and central Sydney, a distance of more than 90 km.

He subsequently worked for Ministers Craig Knowles and Morris Iemma, and as chief of staff for Minister Milton Orkopoulos.

Rees transferred to the Premier's office in 2006, three months before Orkopoulos was charged with child sexual abuse.

Rees has stated that he had no knowledge of the crimes committed by Orkopoulos, and would have reported him to the police had he been aware of them.

Rees was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Toongabbie for Labor from 2007 to 2015.

Rees was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 24 March 2007 and became Minister for Emergency Services, and Minister for Water Utilities, on 2 April 2007.

As Minister for Water Utilities, Rees was responsible for implementing the $1.9 billion Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell, and the proposed Tillegra Dam in the Hunter Region.

At the time Rees was appointed Minister for Water Utilities, Sydney was experiencing extreme drought conditions requiring transfer of water from the Shoalhaven River to Sydney and the imposition of water restrictions.

The construction of the controversial Sydney Desalination Plant to prepare Sydney for future droughts was completed whilst Rees was Minister.

The project came in $60 million under budget and doubled the initial capacity.

Contracts were also entered into to provide for the powering of the desalination plant through renewable sources.

Rees replaced Morris Iemma as Premier and party leader on 5 September 2008.

At 40 years and 206 days of age, Rees became the youngest person to assume the office, a record that has since been surpassed by Dominic Perrottet.

In July 2008, he was touted by the Sydney media as being a contender for Premier.

Rees denied that he was a contender for the role, saying that "Premier Iemma has my rock-solid, unequivocal support and he knows that".

Two months after this interview, Morris Iemma was deposed as Premier in favour of Rees.

Iemma resigned on 5 September 2008 after his own Right faction rebuffed his plans to reshuffle the Cabinet.

However, the Right had no credible replacement candidate.

It thus agreed to support Rees, a member of the Socialist Left faction.

Thus, later in the day, Rees was unanimously elected Labor leader, and hence Premier.

He was sworn in by the Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales, Chief Justice of New South Wales James Spigelman after only nineteen months as a member of parliament.

Carmel Tebbutt was elected unanimously as Deputy Leader, and thus Deputy Premier.

The following Monday, 8 September, Rees was also sworn in as Minister for the Arts.

A slump in revenues associated with the recent global financial crisis compelled Rees and the State Treasurer Eric Roozendaal to implement a mini-budget which was handed down on 11 November 2008.

The mini-budget increased taxes and charges such as land tax, mineral royalties, parking space levies and also announced the privatisation of state assets.

A universal scheme providing free travel on public transport for all students going to and from school was curtailed—a decision since reversed —and the previously announced North West Metro and South West rail projects were indefinitely postponed.

A series of by-elections to replace former Premier Morris Iemma, Deputy Premier John Watkins and Health Minister Reba Meagher resulted in massive swings against the government and saw John Watkins' former seat of Ryde resoundingly lost to the Liberals.

On 3 December 2009, Rees was deposed as leader of the Labor Party by Kristina Keneally after he resoundingly lost a secret ballot in the Labor Party caucus after fifteen months as Premier.

He is the shortest-serving member of the New South Wales Parliament to become Premier since Federation, and the only Labor Premier of New South Wales not to lead the party into an election.

To date, he is also the most recent premier of an Australian state not to contest a general election.