Labor has celebrated one year in government by declaring there’s more to do, while claiming it’s meeting the mandate handed to it by New South Wales voters.
It’s been 12 months since Chris Minns was elevated to Premier, ousting Dominic Perrottet and ending 12 years of Coalition government in the state.
“We were elected with a clear mandate to rebuild essential services, invest in our frontline workers, address the housing crisis, and stop privatisation. That is exactly what we are doing,” Minns said.
“We hit the ground running, to repair the damage done by the previous government and to undertake long-term reform. But that’s just the beginning.
“We have an ambitious agenda and will not waste a second delivering reform to improve the quality of life for the people of NSW.
“We don’t take government for granted. We are committed to working hard everyday on behalf of the people of NSW.”
Minns and Deputy Premier Prue Car issued a joint statement on Monday, celebrating a year of “repair, reform and action”.
They pointed to cost-of-living assistance, rebuilding essential services, protecting the environment, building new public transport infrastructure, repairing the budget and focusing on renewable and reliable energy as key achievements.
“The NSW Government’s number one priority is helping people across NSW with cost-of-living pressures,” Car said.
“At the centre of that is housing. We have unveiled some of the most transformative planning reforms in NSW that will increase supply, making housing more affordable and in well-located areas close to transport, jobs and existing infrastructure.”
Minns said a balance is needed between delivering projects and managing finances.
“The NSW Government has begun the challenging task of repairing the state’s finances. We’ve reduced debt by $13 billion despite inheriting the largest debt ever passed from one government to another,” he said.
“This was all while delivering the biggest infrastructure pipeline in NSW history to build roads, rail, schools and hospitals. We’ve also declared NSW open for business by scrapping the cap on concerts and abolishing red tape for venues to make it easier to get outdoor dining and reduce noise complaints, to create jobs and get the Sydney economy going again.”
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.