Members of the NSW Liberal Party have preselected Aileen MacDonald OAM as the Party's candidate to fill the casual Legislative Council vacancy that will be caused by the impending retirement of the Hon Catherine Cusack, with Party endorsement to follow shortly.
Aileen moved to Guyra in late 1989 as a newlywed, to run an agribusiness with her husband Scot. They owned and ran a successful business, Guyra Rural Services, for more than thirty years, while raising their three children and getting extensively involved in the local community.
"Rural communities are the heart and soul of our state, and building a small business while raising a family in regional NSW has given me an appreciation for the issues affecting country NSW," said Mrs MacDonald. "My husband and I had operated a small agri-business across this region, which has given us great insights into the resilience of country communities."
Aileen has always brought a strong rural perspective to her work in finance, retail, agriculture, marketing and government services. Her community work has been likewise focused on building a better region.
Aileen received an Order of Australia Medal in 2020 and was named Guyra's citizen of the year in 2019, after dedicating years to the local business community, Rotary and the Liberal Party. Her involvement with the Guyra and District Chamber of Commerce, of which she was president from 2016 to 2019, as well as her decade of service with Rotary, have prepared Aileen to advocate for the needs of local communities across the Northern NSW.
As the President of Business New England, and the driving force behind Renew Armidale, Aileen has been championing local small business and community issues, which has helped to build a foundation for her continued advocacy as a Parliamentary representative for Northern NSW.
"I am incredibly humbled by the trust that has been placed in me. I will use this opportunity to bring a rural perspective to the NSW Parliament, and will work incredibly hard to support the Perrottet Government in delivering services and infrastructure for our regional communities - building on the legacy of the Hon Catherine Cusack."
"The Perrottet Government has been doing an outstanding job leading our state through challenging times – investing in our local services and strengthening their delivery, while taking the pressure off our families and businesses," Mrs MacDonald said. "I look forward to making a positive contribution in the Legislative Council."
