Released 26/06/2019

Representing the Canberra community, particularly the people living in Gungahlin, is a privilege and a huge responsibility.

I joined the Australian Labor Party 17 years ago as a newly minted Australian citizen because I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. And the Labor Party has enabled me to work with and for the Canberra community to make our city a place where people can live good and happy lives.

I love living in Canberra with my family and working to make sure our city is vibrant, sustainable and full of opportunities.

I have been incredibly grateful for the opportunity to represent the electorates of Molonglo, and now Yerrabi, since 2015, and working to bring about positive change for our community and bring investment into the Gungahlin region.

It has been a huge privilege to be a minister in the Barr Government, particularly in the health, transport and higher education portfolios, and I am proud of some of the progress and big achievements we have made in these policy areas, although at times it has not been easy.

Today I announce that I have made a decision not to recontest the next ACT election. I will stand down as a Minister from 1 July and will leave the Legislative Assembly in coming weeks.

My decision is a personal one, and stems from a desire to better balance my family life. This has been an incredibly difficult decision for me, but it is the right decision and will allow a new member of our team to come into the Assembly prior to the 2020 election.

I have loved being an MLA and am grateful to the people of Yerrabi for electing me in 2016. I am disappointed I will not be able to fulfil my responsibility as an MLA for the remainder of the term.

I hope to continue to make a contribution to our amazing city in life after politics. I will continue to be a working mum, something my husband and I have balanced since each of our children were born. Now is the time for a new balance and new opportunities.

And I hope that other working mums and dads – indeed people of all ages and backgrounds – consider running for public office. It is an important role; and it is more than a job. It is deeply important to our community that good people of all political persuasions put their hand up to represent their community, join the contest of ideas and take responsibility for decision making.

I would like to thank the Chief Minister Andrew Barr for his leadership and unrelenting support for me, and my caucus colleagues and friends who are wonderful people, deeply committed to making Canberra a better place.

I would like to thank members of the community for sharing their views, ideas and encouragement and the many stakeholders and representative groups I have worked with, for their advocacy and helping me learn more about the portfolios I have held.

I thank the thousands of ACT public servants I have worked with and sought to support. They do fantastic work for our community in very big and small ways.

A very special thank you to my former and especially my current staff, rocks of my life as an MLA. They have worked so hard and I could not have done my job without them.

Lastly, to my family here and in New Zealand - my biggest thank you for everything and much more.

- Statement ends -

Meegan Fitzharris, MLA | Media Releases

Media Contacts

Name Phone Mobile Email

Claire Johnston

(02) 6205 0022

0452 597 459

clairev.johnston@act.gov.au


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