Two years ago, just days after Labor took power in New South Wales for the first time in more than a decade, Prue Car admitted it was difficult to take it all in.
How had a girl from Emu Plains risen to become Deputy Premier, Education Minister and a veteran MP – all well before her 40th birthday?
“They call it imposter syndrome I think,” she said at the time.
“I definitely would have never thought that I would have ended up here.”
Now, on the two-year anniversary of the Minns Government and the 10-year anniversary of her election as the State Member for Londonderry, the most powerful woman in New South Wales politics admits that ‘imposter syndrome’ hasn’t entirely disappeared.
“I still feel like that,” she said.
“Around decision making tables you don’t get a lot of people who have had a western Sydney upbringing like me and I feel that’s something important that we can bring.
“It’s still a bit surreal at times. But I want to be able to use it to do the things that we need to get done and that’s really hard sometimes – cutting through the bureaucracy – but I think we’re starting to do it.”
Car is sitting down with the Weekender at a café in St Marys, with the occasional wave or nod to a constituent – a bond that grew during her cancer battle in 2022.
“That whole thing showed me people are so nice,” she said.
“Still now, someone will come up to me on the street and ask me how my health is.
“Regardless of whether that person agrees with me politically, they will ask me about that.”
Car admits it still feels surreal that she went through such a battle given her age, and admits it remains firmly at the front of her mind despite having the all clear.
“It can happen to anyone. I’m feeling OK at the moment,” she said.
“I remember sitting in a doctor’s office with my Dad and all the other patients with my type of cancer were my Dad’s age in demographic… and then me.
“It does play on my mind. Every time you have to go for your scan… especially given I didn’t think it was that to start with. Every time you get a migraine or really tired, which is just from work, you get a bit scared, but a lot of people have that – scan anxiety, they call it.”
Today marks two years since Chris Minns became Premier, and rather than celebrate achievements during that time, Car is happy to admit it hasn’t always been the smoothest ride.
“I think we are a bit bruised. There’s been some really difficult things to do,” she said.
“Working with Chris has been really interesting because he’s really considered about every action we take as a government. We’ve had our fair share of challenges just in terms of our agenda.
“We got rid of the wages cap and that has opened up a lot of asks from the union movement, but even outside of that, the stuff that comes up that you can’t plan for… it’s been a massive leaning curve.
“The first two years of government have really been about finding our feet, figuring out who we are and what we want to do and also learning about how hard it is to get things done, to be honest.”
But Car admits getting things done – like action on the long-awaited Jordan Springs High School – makes being in government worth it.
“It does feel like the time in opposition was like you’re screaming into the wind,” she said.
“You can fight really hard and get really good outcomes, but nothing compares to actually being at the table. It’s completely different.”
While cost-of-living is a significant issue that continues to be high on the agenda for many local residents, Car said chief amongst local concerns was rapid growth without supporting infrastructure.
“The biggest thing that has changed is that the growth has been enormous really quickly,” she said.
“Take somewhere like Jordan Springs. It was growing steadily when I was first elected, but it is now huge.
“The local feedback in all parts of my electorate is all about coping with growth. Everything is to do with coping with growth, that’s the biggest challenge.”
Car is comfortable going from talking about that high school – and a nearby connector road that has been the talk of Jordan Springs for almost her entire time as the local MP – to discussing the bigger state-wide issues, in particular public transport – which has been a black eye on the government’s term so far.
And that requires her finding balance – from the day-to-day issues that pop up in her electorate, to the pressures of sitting around the Cabinet table. On any given day, both can be as important as each other.
“It is a balance,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for my husband who gave up a successful career in the Army to help me once I got elected. We have three kids between us aged between 14 and 10.”
Two years out from the next election, Car has no doubt she will put her hand up again – especially if it means delivering more of what she fought for in the eight years she sat in opposition.
“It’s a privilege. Every four years so far I’ve asked to do it all again and I’ll run again and ask to be voted in again because it’s an enormous privilege,” she said.
“Now in government I feel I’m in a position to deliver.”
PRUE CAR ON…
Youth Crime: “If you talk to police, there is a youth crime challenge. We have done some pretty strong things on bail for young offenders. People shouldn’t feel unsafe in their own town.”
Transport: “Both us and the previous government have struggled with bringing the legacy rail service into the 21st century and beyond. We have struggled with the union, and we need to do significant maintenance. It’s a lot of money and our people in western Sydney need it more than anyone.”
Education: “Public education is on the re-build. We’re putting a massive amount of effort into the new curriculum. It’s really getting back to the basics of testing content very clearly and not moving onto the next concept until the students have grasped that concept. Going back to what has worked previously. It’s an exciting time in education in that sense.”
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.