PRUE CAR MP
NSW LABOR DEPUTY LEADER
The Premier needs to demand that Melanie Gibbons reverse her decision and stay on to support the people of Holsworthy as we emerge from lockdowns, rather than jump ship to look for a new job in Canberra.
Ms Gibbons is the second MP who has decided to pick their careers over their communities by running for a Federal seat, joining Andrew Constance who announced his resignation two weeks ago.
Ms Gibbons said:
“Federal seats don’t come up too often”.
Melanie Gibbons, Interview with Seven News, Wednesday, 13 October 2021
The midst of a pandemic is not the time for Minister’s and MPs to cut and run. Some 6000 people lost their jobs at the peak of the current lockdowns in the electorate of Holsworthy.
By-election are also costly. A by-election in Holsworthy would cost over $1.2 million of taxpayer money to run.
Labor is also sceptical of the fact both Ms Gibbons and Mr Constance will stay on until they are‘required to resign for the Federal Election, whenever that is called’.
The people of Holsworthy deserve a representative who isn’t just warming a seat until they choose to resign.
It would be a bit rich for Melanie Gibbons to wait until the Federal election to resign considering there were over 6000 people out of jobs because of the COVID pandemic.
The focus of every member of Parliament should be on opening up successfully and staying open, getting people back in jobs, kids in schools and the economy going again.
