In the media

Media release, 12 September 2024

Today’s decision by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) confirming the electorate of North Sydney is to be abolished is deeply disappointing.

Serving the North Sydney community has been a great honour, and I want to thank the community for working with me over the course of the last two and a half years to ensure our authentic voice was heard within our federal parliamentary system.

Despite today’s announcement I feel like I have a lot more to give to Australian politics, but today isn’t about me. I will have more to say about my future at a later date.

Before being elected in 2022, I was just another proud resident of this really special area. As a mum first and foremost with kids at local schools, a participant in community sports and a business owner and builder within this community, there is so much I love about this piece of our planet.

During the federal election campaign of 2022 our community was one of the first to stand up and say we believed politics could be done differently, and we worked together to bring back North Sydney’s voice.

I want to extend a special thank you to the incredible team, the dedicated volunteers, and the generous donors who have supported our work. Your passion and energy have made our achievements possible.

Most importantly I want to thank the people of North Sydney – for placing their trust in me to represent them in Canberra. I am proud of what we have accomplished together. In particular:

• The significant reform we delivered on climate action (including 43% as a floor not a ceiling and the introduction of vehicle efficiency standards in Australia)
• The additional support we secured for families and in particular women (including the reinstatement of the parenting payment to children up to the age of 14)
• The reform of HECs indexation, and the payment of superannuation on parental leave
  entitlements
• The changes we have driven around parliamentary conduct (including the first ever behaviour codes for Australia parliamentarians and parliamentary workplaces), and
• The advocacy we’ve provided for the most vulnerable across our community including those living below the poverty line and those seeking asylum.

My community sent me to Parliament to change the climate down in Canberra – and I believe we have done that.

I am also deeply grateful to everyone who took the time to write to the AEC and share their personal objections to the draft decision to abolish North Sydney, and to the thousands of people who signed the petition to Save North Sydney. Your efforts and commitment to our electorate have been extraordinary.

I want to reassure the North Sydney community that for the remainder of this parliamentary term they can continue to expect the same level of representation they’ve had over the past two and a half years. They can also expect that I will continue to work tirelessly on the issues that matter most to our community.

This includes advocating for smarter policies that move Australia forward – demanding stronger climate action, pushing for housing affordability and cost of living solutions, addressing intergenerational inequality, protecting our environment, safeguarding human rights and promoting a future-focused economy.

As one of the original 75 divisions from Australia’s first federal election, and a seat held by both Prime Ministers and pioneering independents, the residents of North Sydney have contributed greatly to building a better Australia – and long may this continue.

Download this media release as a pdf here.