(Photo: Twitter)
October 27, 2017
Deputy Leader of the Nationals Fiona Nash – also dismissed from Parliament of Friday by the High Court – has released a statement which hints that she may be considering a career outside politics.
While thanking her colleagues, former Senator Nash said she would “continue to fight for rural, regional and remote Australians – no matter where my life path takes me”.
Ms Nash said she came into Parliament in 2004 after winning pre-selection for a NSW Nationals Senate spot as a farmer and proud mother of two young boys.
“I did so to try to improve the lives of rural, regional and remote Australians, who despite producing the food, water, electricity, gas and exports which power this nation, often have reduced access to basics which city people take for granted like doctors, health care and tertiary education,” she said.
“I always aimed to help build rural, regional and remote communities our children and grandchildren either wanted to stay in or come back to.”
“Through 12 years of hard work, I’m really proud of the things I’ve been able to achieve.”
She said these included:
- Pressing forward with a whole-of-government decentralisation program
- Creating the half-billion dollar Building Better Regions Fund
- Delivering the Mobile Black Spots Program and 765 mobile towers to rural Australia
- Turning around the performance of the Sky Muster satellites
- Delivering fixed wireless broadband to 3 per cent of rural Australians
- Releasing the Regions 2030 statement, the first time a regional vision statement has been delivered in more than a decade
- The appointment of Australia’s first Rural Health Commissioner to advocate for rural health
- The National Ice Taskforce and historic $300 million investment in drug and alcohol treatment and education
- Initiating an independent report into organ donation
- The Indigenous Health Implementation Plan, which received tri-partisan support
- Redirection of $50 million in GP subsidies to doctors in small country towns rather than those in cities
- Helping stop the takeover of Graincorp by ADM
“It has been an honour to serve the people of this nation,” Ms Nash said.
“I thank all my colleagues who have been so supportive, not just recently but over many years; particularly of course my National Party colleagues.
“I have the most wonderful staff in the building, and I thank Team Nash for their incredible loyalty and dedication to excellence.
“I thank my wonderful sons, Will and Henry, for all their support, and of whom I am so proud.
“I will continue to fight for rural, regional and remote Australians – no matter where my life path takes me.”
Editorial note: We apologise for the broken link that we had here for a short time. We had embedded a fun little video by ex-Senator Nash with local Member David Littleproud which we thought showed both politicians in a positive light, but sadly either Ms Nash or one of her staffers must have decided it was time its distribution be limited.
