By Sean Nicholls STATE POLITICAL EDITOR
KRISTINA KENEALLY has implored voters to ''take a second look'' at her four months from the state election, while promising to remain in Parliament for a full term if re-elected, whether or not Labor is returned to power.
In an interview to mark her first anniversary as Premier, Ms Keneally said she had reunited a party that had ''indulged itself'' and was ''fractured'' by the turmoil over electricity privatisation.
She apologised for the political instability it caused, which forced the resignation of the then premier Morris Iemma.
''I do say to the people of NSW, I'm sorry it happened,'' she said. ''It did not need to happen. The fact that we've just concluded the closure of bids for the energy transaction shows there was a solution and it didn't need to get to the point that it did.''
Ms Keneally also admitted she had been wracked by uncertainty before the coup that brought her to power a year ago.
She said it was ''a difficult time'' for her predecessor, Nathan Rees, who was ousted by her after just 15 months.
''I didn't sleep the night before the challenge,'' she said. ''I lay awake all night wrestling with the decision, wrestling with its consequences, wrestling with the circumstances, challenging my own capacities, questioning myself on my motivations, questioning myself on the challenges that lay ahead.''
The comments coincide with the announcement by one of her most high-profile ministers, Frank Sartor, that he will retire from politics.
It takes to 18 the number of Labor MPs who have said they will quit at the March election, following a call by Ms Keneally and party headquarters for ''new blood'' in the ranks.
Ms Keneally said the drive for renewal, in which the most prominent scalp has been her close colleague, the party powerbroker Joe Tripodi, has paid dividends.
''You know, I have taken control of this party in that sense,'' she said. ''I have made this a party as it should be. One that is democratic in its decision-making but one that is led by someone with a clear vision at the top.''
Despite being installed as a ''fresh face'' to revitalise her tainted party's electoral chances, Ms Keneally's reign has been marked by its own scandals.
They included the resignations of Penrith MP Karyn Paluzzano and the state development minister Ian Macdonald over the misuse of taxpayers' money. The transport minister David Campbell quit the ministry after being filmed leaving a gay sauna and the ports minister Paul McLeay followed suit after using parliamentary computers to access porn and gambling websites.
In October Ms Keneally presided over NSW Labor's lowest primary vote in an opinion poll, at 23 per cent.
Asked if she felt she has succeeded in restoring the public's faith in the government, the Premier said: ''Ultimately the decision will be taken on election day. But as we go towards the election and looking back over the last 12 months, what I would say is: have a second look at me and then take a long, hard look at those who sit opposite me.''
She accused the Opposition Leader, Barry O'Farrell, of deliberately withholding his plans, while her achievements included reform of the political donations and same-sex adoption. She also praised the Treasurer, Eric Roozendaal, for maintaining the state's triple-A credit rating.
Items of ''unfinished business'' nominated by Ms Keneally as priorities if Labor is elected for a fifth term include the Barangaroo development and juvenile justice.
Ms Keneally rejected rumours that she is planning a post-election move to Canberra via the seat of Kingsford Smith, saying: ''I'm not interested''.
''I'm running at this election as the member for Heffron,'' she said. ''I'm running as the Premier of NSW. To whatever position the electors put me in, that's the position in which I will serve for the full term of the next election.''