As his son awaited election as the 44th premier of NSW on Thursday, Bruce Baird was relieved that on one occasion, at least, his fatherly advice was resolutely ignored.
“The truth is I spent a year trying to talk him out of going into politics because I know the downsides of politics, and the pain it can incur,” Mr Baird senior, himself a former state minister, said soon before his son Mike snared the Liberal leadership ballot.
“So when he has bad days, I do say to him 'remember I told you not to go into politics'.”
Mike Baird need not look far for a reminder of the fire-and-brimstone ending that can befall even the most risk-averse politicians.
Barry O'Farrell donned a Kangaroos blazer and joked about a new career in rugby league on Thursday, but colleagues said that behind the bravado, the former premier was understandably “distraught”.
Bruce Baird has new words of advice as his son grapples with this week's bombshell events and leads the Coalition to the next election.
"Stay true to yourself, stand strong on things you believe in and ... [ask yourself] is this going to be good for the state?'” said Mr Baird senior, who was NSW transport minister in the Greiner government before entering Federal Parliament.
"I tried to be premier and didn't make it. You always hope your children are going to do better than you do."
Mike Baird is deeply religious and at one point seemed destined for life as a minister.
His father spoke of his son's strong faith and urged him to "hold onto that".
"When they said on the news it was likely he was going to become premier, my wife cried," Mr Baird senior said.
"We are going to celebrate tonight. This is a proud dad moment."
