Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead delivered his valedictory speech in the NSW Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, October 12.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It was clearly an emotional moment for Mr Bromhead as he announced his retirement was due to being diagnosed with mesothelioma.
"I leave after 12 years not because I wanted to. I don't want anyone to think that this was a case of someone who's tired and doesn't want to be a local member and is giving up," Mr Bromhead told Parliament.
"It is with regret that I do retire, but it's been a great 12 years."
RELATED: Myall Lakes MP announces retirement
Mr Bromhead started his speech by thanking his wife, Sue, for supporting him through his 12 years of being the Member for Myall Lakes. He also thanked his family and staff for their support.
Mr Bromhead then went on to thank the people of his electorate.
"Without the support of the electorate, without the trust and honour that they place on you, I wouldn't have been able to serve for the 12 years." he said.
"It's only through their support, through them electing you, because they put their trust that you will fight for them in this place, that you're able to do your job and do it for 12 years.
He then thanked his colleagues in the National Party, and made note of highlights in his time as a sitting member, in particular the $140 million redevelopment of Manning Base Hospital, and his commitment to the creation of a new public hospital in Forster.
"Hopefully very, very shortly, with the support of the Minister for Regional Health, Minister Taylor will be announcing where that hospital will be. There's a couple (of sites) on the shortlist; hopefully they'll make that decision soon. There's commercial negotiations taking place, and then we'll be able to say where it is," Mr Bromhead said.
"It is important that we deliver ... a new public hospital at Forster."
Mr Bromhead said one of the pleasures he had in the job was being a member of the Parliamentary Lions Club, where he held the position of president for 10 years.
When Mr Bromhead concluded his speech he was honoured with a standing ovation.
"Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you for the honour and the privilege of being here for 12 years," he said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
Did you know? Manning River Times online subscribers not only have 24/7 access to local and national news, sport, what's on and entertainment - they also have access to our print editions in digital format, with all the advertisements and classifieds at their fingertips.