BRAD HAZZARD MP FOR WAKEHURST AND MINISTER -RETIREMENT STATEMENT
After 32 years of service as the MP for Wakehurst, including 12 years as a senior Cabinet Minister and 16 years as a Shadow Minister, it is time for a new beginning.
First and foremost, I want to thank my wife and my family for their support, especially over these past three COVID-challenged years.
I thank the NSW Liberal Party, Wakehurst branch members and our local community for allowing me – over eight successive elections – to be their voice in the NSW Parliament.
“I want to thank every Liberal Leader since 1995 for the honour of continuous service on the frontbench but particularly, Premiers O’Farrell, Baird, Berejiklian and Perrottet.
Under their leadership, the Liberals and Nationals turned around the fortunes of NSW. Our great State is in a vastly better place than it was when we came to Government.
I have enjoyed every moment working with the community organisations, local schools and individuals in my electorate, who strive to make Wakehurst a better place to live.”
I thank my Wakehurst electorate staff who have always supported me to achieve positive outcomes for our community, and there are a few highlights to single out.
Opening our magnificent Northern Beaches Hospital alongside the many dedicated and professional health staff there, is one of many outstanding moments.
Despite years of promises, Labor never delivered our hospital but the Liberals and Nationals did, along with a further $178 billion in infrastructure projects for NSW. Among these, the $600 million upgrade of the Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Rd intersection; the East-West expansion of Warringah Road; and the soon-to-be built new Forest High School at Allambie Heights.
I want to thank the incredible staff who have worked in my ministerial office over the years in the portfolios of Planning, Infrastructure, Justice, Attorney-General, Social Housing, Family and Community Services, Medical Research, Health and as Leader of the House in the Legislative Assembly.
I acknowledge all the public servants I have been honoured to work with. NSW is blessed to have such committed and capable civil servants. I include amongst them former NSW Health Executive Secretary Elizabeth Koff, Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce (now Secretary) and the amazing public health team lead by Dr Kerry Chant.
As NSW Health Minister it has been the best of times and the worst of times.
“The best of times has been working with the incredibly talented staff in our health system, the building of 180 hospitals and health facilities across NSW (with more to come); as well as the huge increases in staff. NSW Health is the biggest health agency in Australia with over 160,000 staff and now has a budget of $33 billion, double that under Labor, and almost a third of the entire NSW Budget.”
“The worst of times came with COVID-19. When the pandemic began, we were bracing for an expected 25,000 deaths in NSW in the first year. There were many anguished nights. What followed was a gruelling and a deeply upsetting time where rapid decisions had to be made to try and keep 8.5 million people safe from the virus.”
All I can say to the NSW community is everyone did their very best to keep you safe. I particularly want to praise Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for their support of NSW Health and myself throughout the pandemic. I am forever grateful.
Non Ministerial matters have also been very important to me. Working with colleagues across the political divide to right the antiquated wrong of potential criminalisation of women and doctors who found themselves making the difficult decision to undertake an abortion, was another important moment for me.
I am also very proud of initiating the discussions 30 years ago which led to the western forecourt wall of the NSW Parliament being committed to the Aboriginal community to ensure there is a place in the mother parliament of the nation that recognises the first peoples of this nation.
Finally, whilst the NSW Liberal party gave me the opportunity to make a difference, I want to acknowledge that I have worked with many wonderful people from all sides of politics throughout my career. They have been genuinely committed to making NSW a better place for everyone and upholding the values of democracy that we hold dear.
