In a move which has disappointed the arts, the new Premier of NSW, Mike Baird, has reshuffled his cabinet more thoroughly than anticipated. Among the casualties was the National Party’s George Souris, the Minister for the Arts, who was not named in the new cabinet at all.
Souris was a popular Arts Minister who was regarded as a strong supporter of the sector. He has been responsible for the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct Plan, which offers new facilities particularly for performing arts. He was a vocal campaigner for cultural tourism and was seen as having a genuine understanding of and interest in the sector.