James Griffin, the New South Wales Coalition Opposition’s energy and climate change spokesperson, has announced his retirement from politics just half a year out from the state election.
The move, which came as a surprise to colleagues and opponents, will see the NSW Liberal Party lose one of its more moderate voices on climate, energy and environment issues.
Griffin told Renew Economy that after 10 years in parliament, come next March, it was time for him to move on. “All good things must come to an end.”
In a statement announcing his retirement perhaps aimed at the rising popularity of One Nation, Griffin said: “As populism gains ground on the left and the right, we cannot allow the politics of grievance to diminish the harder, more honest work of governing well.”
“The ‘sensible centre’ built NSW and our nation, and it is worth defending,” he said.
Griffin said he was not leaving politics because of the Coalition’s pledge to reverse part of the renewable energy roadmap – including dumping the state’s largest renewable energy zone – if they won office next March. The roadmap was a signature policy of the Perrottet government.
“I’m incredibly comfortable with the decisions we made on the New England Renewable Energy Zone and the transmission line,” he told Renew Economy.
Still, Griffin conceded it was “a challenging time for people who believe” in taking action on climate change.
Now 42, Griffin said his time as environment minister during the previous Coalition government resulted in outcomes he would “cherish for the rest of my life”. Indeed, those results had “sustained” him over the past couple of years.
While the Manly MP’s media release focused more on his work in energy, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy, Griffin said remaining active in environment work would be a fixture in his post-political life.
“It’s part of my DNA,” he said.
Griffin said he would remain in his energy and climate spokesperson role but for how long would be decided by Liberal leader Kellie Sloane.
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