Today in Parliament, I will deliver one of the most difficult speeches of my career, announcing my resignation from the Shadow Cabinet. This is not a decision made lightly, but one I feel compelled to take as a matter of principle.
Since the day I was elected, I have fought tirelessly and unapologetically for the people of Goulburn. I have raised my voice in Parliament, in party room, and in Shadow Cabinet to make clear the mounting pressures that are being faced by regional communities.
This week, the urgent consideration of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Amendment (Priority Network Projects) Bill 2025 has laid bare the dysfunction and disregard within the political process. The Bill was introduced without due process, without proper consultation, and without Shadow Cabinet consideration. To learn that the Government had briefed our Shadow Minister days earlier; while members like myself, whose communities are directly impacted, were kept in the dark, is nothing short of a betrayal.
The people I represent are not theoretical stakeholders. They are farmers, families, and small business owners whose lives are being upended seemingly every day by government decisions.
Despite the fact that I provided a detailed proposal, briefing Shadow Cabinet nearly a year ago on decommissioning legislation, and fighting for regional voices to be heard, my concerns (and theirs) have been sidelined.
This decision is not about me or my career – I don’t care. It is about standing with the people of regional New South Wales who have been ignored, marginalised, and treated as collateral damage.
My message to the Parliament is simple: it is time to listen. Regional communities are not a dumping ground for the city’s problems. We are not a line item on your infrastructure map. We are citizens, and we deserve transparency, accountability, and above all respect.
WENDY TUCKERMAN 