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June 22nd, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Former NSW premier Kristina Keneally has confirmed she will quit politics at the end of the month to take up the job as head of Australian basketball.
In a statement issued early on Saturday morning Ms Keneally said it was time for a “new phase in my life” after almost a decade in parliament, but added she did not take the decision to exit state politics lightly.
She will stand down as the member for Heffron in eastern Sydney on June 29 to take up the position of chief executive of Basketball Australia next month, she said.
“I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I was given to serve the community as premier and a minister,” Ms Keneally said in her statement.
“I am proud of the passion, determination and commitment that I was able to bring to my roles as local member, minister and premier.
“Even on the toughest days as premier, I always had the strength to get back up again and keep working for the people of NSW.”
The US-born MP led Labor to its worst ever defeat at the 2011 state elections, leaving the party with just 20 seats in the 93-seat Legislative Assembly.
Ms Keneally stepped down from Labor’s frontbench following that defeat but vowed to serve out a full parliamentary term.
The 43-year-old served as planning minister and minister for ageing and disability in the Iemma and Rees governments, before being thrust into the top job just 15 months before last year’s election.
Ms Keneally was a champion basketball player at high school, and was appointed to the board of Basketball Australia in December.
Speaking to branch members on Friday night, she did not rule out a return to politics like one of her recent Labor predecessors.
“You only need to look at the example of Bob Carr to see that people can and do return to politics in the future if they feel they can make a contribution,” News Ltd reported.
“I would never rule that out, but for the next decade of my life I imagine I’ll be working in sports administration.”
In her statement she thanked her parliamentary colleagues and others in the Labor Party, as well as her husband Ben and two sons Brendan and Daniel.
Ms Keneally said her resignation gave the embattled NSW Labor Party a chance to renew its parliamentary team.
“As premier, I put in place a determined push to renew the Labor Party’s parliamentary ranks – that call for renewal applies to me just as much as it applies to anyone else,” she said.
“By stepping away now, I offer the ALP the chance to send the parliament a new and energetic member who can contribute to the next Labor government in NSW.”
News Ltd reported Labor’s leader in the upper house, Luke Foley, could be parachuted in as a candidate for Heffron, but said former state Labor government adviser Michael Comninos is more likely to win a rank-and-file preselection.
Labor holds Heffron with a 7.8 per cent margin, and with the party polling at just 24 per cent of the primary vote in the latest Newspoll, and without the popular Ms Keneally standing, NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell will believe the coalition has a real chance of snatching the once safe ALP seat.
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