Making positive change is hard work

Making positive change is hard work.

In my first speech to Parliament in 2017, I spoke about our community getting its fair share – its fair share of funding for schools, healthcare, and to protect our beautiful local environment. Over the past few years, I have secured $118 million to upgrade our local schools, $50 million to open the Brookvale Health Centre, launched and expanded the B-Line, and launched Australia’s first palliative care centre for young adults at the old Manly Hospital.

I’m not saying it’s been an easy journey. These last few years with the pandemic, floods and fires have been difficult for everyone across NSW. But I believe we can, and should be, very optimistic about our future.

Over the past few years, I’ve worked with businesses across the electorate on reopening our local economy and sustaining an economic recovery into the long-term. We brought together business and community leaders to create Experience Manly, which has secured 60 musical acts in over 20 local venues as part of Encore Manly to grow our arts and music scene.

When times were tough, it would have been easy to say tools down. But this community of passionate hard workers got to work to get a job done and together build a brighter future. This is what has inspired me to run again for Parliament.

You may have already seen my pitch for next year’s election: Environment, Integrity, Results. I believe this reflects my track record to date, and it’s what I want to bring into the next term if I have the privilege of being re-elected as your local member.

Much has been said about integrity in politics recently, and for good reason. Being trusted and trustworthy is something only your community can say about you, and I will leave it to you to judge my character. For me integrity is about standing up for what you believe in, what’s right, and what’s in the public interest, even if it can be politically difficult.

So whether it’s expanding mental health services at our local hospital, or restoring bus services in our suburbs, or fighting to stop gas exploration off the coast of our community – I have stood up every time.

My record as your local member and NSW Environment Minister also demonstrates this. I have always believed that our local environment is key to our community’s success and its future. It wasn’t that many years ago that our beaches were not what they are today – now rated good or excellent across the board for water quality. Or when single-use plastics from straws to cutlery to polystyrene would choke our waterways – I phased them out in NSW in November last year. Or when NSW didn’t do its part for the planet – and now we are leading the nation to make us a renewable energy superpower. Don’t just take my word for it, ask the World Wildlife Fund.

This leads to my final point – results. It’s one thing in politics to say the right things, but it’s another to do them. I’m part of a team that has delivered real, positive change for our community. I’ve listed some above. With the community’s support we have been able to power our recovery, build that better future, and get real results on the table for the community to see. We live in the best part of the world, and I am determined to make sure it remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.