After almost 20 years serving in the NSW Parliament, today I have made the decision to nominate for local preselection for the federal seat of Gilmore.
There has been a lot of speculation over the past few weeks, but I will be resigning as Transport and Roads Minister this week and as the Member for Bega by the end of the year.
I am very conscious of getting our community out of Covid lockdown and working alongside our small businesses to rebound as strongly as we can.
I want to thank my incredible Ministerial team, led by Stuart Wallace and Ann Lewis, and my wonderful electorate office staff, some of whom have been with me since the very beginning.
Like so many of us, I am heartbroken for my long-time friend Gladys Berejiklian. By retiring from State Cabinet and NSW Parliament, I will provide an incoming leader the opportunity to fill this position.
Gladys has been an amazing leader on both a personal and broader community level. Her care and support during Black Summer, in which we worked so closely together, is something that is very dear to my heart.
Gladys is one of the best Premiers we have ever seen. I hope she bounces back as strongly as possible, because I know we have not seen the end of her yet.
During my almost two decades in state politics, and ten and a half years as a Cabinet Minister, I have had the privilege of serving as Minister for Disability Services, the State’s Treasurer, as well as Infrastructure, Transport and Roads Minister.
I am very proud of being part of the team which launched the National Disability Insurance Scheme to provide support to some of our most vulnerable community members. I have also had the privilege of working on some of the biggest road and rail projects in the nation’s history, including the duplication of the Princes Highway and Sydney Metro.
During my time as Treasurer I worked closely with Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Mike Baird to free up billions of dollars through the leasing of poles and wires, which has turned NSW into a much better place for our community.
Whilst the party is looking to a new direction at a State level, I do not want to walk away from serving my local community. I will continue representing my community on key local issues, such as the new hospital developments, and ensuring the community is listened to on vital projects such as the Milton Ulladulla and Moruya Bypasses.
I love our region, its people and I could not be more proud to continue to serve. From Black Summer to the pandemic, we are the strongest and most resilient communities that you will ever see.
It has been the greatest honour serving you in NSW Parliament for almost twenty years and I plan to continue my work on a federal level.
