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Leslie Williams (politician)

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The Honourable
Leslie Williams
MP
5th Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
In office
7 May 2019 – 9 May 2023
SpeakerJonathan O'Dea
Preceded byThomas George
Succeeded bySonia Hornery
Assistant Minister for Education
In office
2 April 2015 – 23 January 2017
Preceded byVictor Dominello
Succeeded bySarah Mitchell
Minister for Early Childhood Education
In office
2 April 2015 – 23 January 2017
Preceded byNew title
Succeeded bySarah Mitchell
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
In office
2 April 2015 – 23 January 2017
Preceded byVictor Dominello
Succeeded bySarah Mitchell
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Port Macquarie
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 March 2011
Preceded byPeter Besseling
Personal details
Born
Leslie Gladys Uren

1960 or 1961 (age 63–64)[1]
Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Political partyLiberal
Other political
affiliations		The Nationals (Until 2020)
SpouseDon Williams
RelationsVickie Chapman (cousin)
Ted Chapman (uncle)
ResidenceLake Cathie, New South Wales
OccupationSmall business owner and nurse
Websitelesliewilliams.com.au

Leslie Gladys Williams is an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Port Macquarie since 2011 for the Nationals until switching to the Liberal Party in 2020. Williams has been the New South Wales Assistant Minister for Education, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Minister for Early Childhood Education from 2 April 2015 until 23 January 2017 when she was replaced in Gladys Berejiklian's cabinet by Sarah Mitchell.[2][3] From 7 May 2019 until 9 May 2023, she was Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.[4]

Background

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Leslie Gladys Williams was born on Kangaroo Island, South Australia.[5] Williams' early career was in teaching in regional South Australia and she completed a short-term assignment as chief executive officer of the Northern Territory division of the Sudden Infant Death Association. In 2000, Williams and her husband commenced ownership of the post office at Lake Cathie, New South Wales, and now operate a mail delivery service. At the same time, she completed a degree in nursing, and worked in the medical and palliative care ward at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital.[5]

Williams' community involvement includes membership of the Rotary Club of Laurieton, being a director of both the Hastings Men's Shed and the Suicide Prevention Network, and she is a volunteer for various organisations, including the Cancer Council of New South Wales and the Salvation Army.[5]

Political career

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Williams' first tilt at public office was at the 2007 State Election where she was defeated by Nationals-turned-independent member, Rob Oakeshott.[6] Williams gained a 3.4-point swing toward the Nationals. When Oakshott resigned the seat to contest a by-election in the Federal parliament, Williams again contested the seat against Oakshott's staffer and independent candidate, Peter Besseling. Besseling won the by-election despite a large 23.7-point swing toward Williams and the Nationals.[6]

Williams again contested Port Macquarie at the next general election, the 2011 state election, and won against Besseling with a two-party-preferred swing of 10.9 points to the Nationals, giving Williams a 6.4-point margin against her independent opponent.[7] She actually won enough votes on the first count to reclaim the seat for the Nationals without the need for preferences.

Her victory was put down in part to anger at Besseling's association with Oakeshott, who kept federal Labor in office as a minority government after the 2010 federal election.[8] Port Macquarie has long been National heartland, and had been a comfortably safe National seat in "traditional" two-party matchups with Labor even when Oakeshott held it without serious difficulty as an independent.

Following the 2015 state election, Williams was sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Education, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and the Minister for Early Childhood Education in the second Baird government.[2][9]

On 20 September 2020 Williams announced she had resigned from the National Party and intended to defect to the Liberal Party, citing the "reckless and unreasonable behaviour" of the Nationals leader John Barilaro in threatening to move the party to the crossbench.[10][11] She became a Liberal Party member later that night.[12] Barilaro threatened to move to the crossbench over a dispute with the Liberal Party regarding a koala protection policy, though the matter was later resolved. Port Macquarie and its surrounds are known for having a large koala population, which is estimated to be around 2,000,[13] and the region is home to the Hello Koalas sculpture trail[14] and the Koala Hospital.[15] Barilaro also announced that the Nationals would field a candidate in the seat of Port Macquarie at the 2023 New South Wales state election.[16] The Nationals selected local mayor Peta Pinson as their candidate,[17] though Williams was easily re-elected. Following her re-election, Williams said the Nationals should have focused "more on seats like Monaro" than fielding a candidate in Port Macquarie.[18]

On 2 June 2023, Williams was granted retention of The Honourable title by the Governor for life, for having served as Deputy Speaker for more than three years.[19]

Personal life

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Williams is the cousin of former South Australian Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman, and niece of Vickie's father Ted Chapman.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "No surprise as the Nats back Leslie Williams". Port Macquarie News. 9 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b Hasham, Nicole (3 April 2015). "Premier Mike Baird's new NSW cabinet sworn in: Gladys Berejiklian and Gabrielle Upton first female Treasurer and Attorney-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. ^ Coultan, Mark (1 April 2015). "Mike Baird reveals NSW cabinet". The Australian. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  4. ^ "The Hon. Leslie Gladys Willimas MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Leslie Williams – Candidate for Port Macquarie". The Nationals team. National Party. 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  6. ^ a b "No surprise as the Nats' back Leslie Williams". Port Macquarie News. Fairfax Media. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Williams whitewash". Port Macquarie News. Fairfax Media. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Close battle expected in Port Macquarie electorate". ABC News. Australia. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  9. ^ "Mrs Leslie Gladys WILLIAMS, BNurs, DipTeach MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. ^ "NSW Nationals MP Leslie Williams resigns to join Liberals". ABC News. Australia. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  11. ^ Smith, Alexandra (20 September 2020). "'Unhelpful and politically reckless': NSW Nationals MP quits to join Liberals". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  12. ^ "NSW Nationals MP Leslie Williams defects to Liberals over koala policy saga". SBS News. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Koalas".
  14. ^ "Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail and Gift Shop | Port Macquarie".
  15. ^ "The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital | Koala Conservation Australia Ltd". Koala Hospital.
  16. ^ "Nationals will field a candidate in Port Macquarie against sitting Liberal MP". 15 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Port Macquarie mayor Peta Pinson to run for Nationals at state election - ABC News".
  18. ^ "NSW National Party chair 'disappointed' with election result in state's west, says Liberals need to 'navel gaze' - ABC News".
  19. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales (237): 0883. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Former KI schoolgirl now a NSW Minister". The Islander. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
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New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Port Macquarie
2011–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Deputy Speaker
2019–2023 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Assistant Minister for Education
2015–2017 		Succeeded by
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
2015–2017
New office Minister for Early Childhood Education
2015–2017
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