Mr Baldwin laughed at rumours circulating in Maitland political circles suggesting he may come out of retirement to run for the seat of Maitland, saying “my days in politics are over”. 

“Put it this way – I would need to be resoundingly convinced,” he said.

“(But) after 20 years of politics, it’s time to sit back and smell the roses...It sounds interesting, but my days in politics are over.”

Mr Baldwin, who lives at Chisholm and is still a member of the Liberal Party, represented Paterson in Federal Parliament for 17 years between 1996 and 2016.

He added that anyone who thought they could “make a difference” should run for election. 

“In politics, I’d encourage anyone who thinks they can make a difference to have a go,” he said.