Liberal NSW Premier Mike Baird has been described as “extreme left wing” and a “lover of unions” on Wikipedia, something which may confuse undecided voters conducting research online ahead of Saturday’s state election.

The online encyclopaedia also reports that, while at university, Mr Baird was a “prominent member of the Socialist Alternative”, a hard left, anti-capitalist political party that identifies with Marxist and Trotskyist ideologies.

• If Baird goes, so will Abbott: Albanese
• Will Mike Baird’s smile be decisive in the election?

Wikipedia, whose content is generated by users but supposedly carefully monitored for veracity, states that the former investment banker and committed Christian was a member of the Rights for Refugees, and entered politics “to give more money to foreign aid”. It provides no citation.

Amid the more plausible claims – including that Mr Baird was an investment banker with NAB, and is the brother of journalist Julia Baird – it also quotes his chief of staff, Bay Warburton, as saying: “Mike, who’s the Treasurer – he believes he’s serving Jesus as the Treasurer of the state.”

Unlike the other claims, this last one appears to be true.