Criticism has occasionally been levelled at me by political adversaries who have proclaimed that an elected member needs a seat at the government’s decision-making table to be able to deliver for the people whom they were elected to represent. I now know this to be untrue.

Consider that the Member for Cootamundra, a member of the current government and occupying a seat at the decision-making table, recently tabled a petition from the residents of Cowra seeking a modern hospital. If that Member truly had a seat at the decision-making table, then surely the petition would be completely unnecessary?

Before NSW Parliament rose last November I passed the Deputy Premier entering the Legislative Assembly Table Office to table a petition for improved medical services in Dalgety and Bombala.

The Deputy Premier has the second biggest seat at the so-called decision-making table, so one would think he would be able to deliver for his constituents without resorting to tabling a petition for basic services. Of course, that’s only what the current state government would have you believe.

By standing up for those of you who I represent, instead of sitting down at the fabled decision-making table, I have relentlessly pursued this government since September 2017 to adequately resource our police, so they can meet the increasing demands of a growing society. What followed my advocacy last November was the announcement last November by the Premier of the 1,500 additional police being delivered over the next four years.

Another notable achievement was forcing this government to submit to my calls for freight subsidies for drought affected farmers. Only days before this government announced the $190 million in freight subsidies they were resolute that transport subsidies do not work and that subsidies were not what farmers wanted. 

I further represented our struggling farmers when I sought justification from the government for unfair Local Land Services rates. The government responded by announcing a $100 million package including the waiving of LLS rates.

After exposing the government’s secret document about ripping-off farmers of $32 million for overcharging concessional registration fees, which they tried to bury, from public view, they announced in their $100 million package refunds for three years and future free rego.

I requested the installation of weather radars; lo and behold the government announced it would deliver three Doppler units to be strategically located throughout regional New South Wales. 

The government complied with my calls to reduce the cost of caravan rego costs, just as they complied with my calls to facilitate the ease of kangaroo management.

Following my lobbying for approximately $1 million in vital funding for Housing Plus to build an essential women’s refuge and crisis centre, the funding was announced and the project will now be realised.

These are but a few of the many accomplishments over the past two years when standing up, instead of sitting down at some exclusive table.