Leslie Williams (politician)

Leslie Gladys Williams (born on Kangaroo Island, South Australia[1]), 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 served as 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] Since 7 May 2019, she has served as Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.[4]


Leslie Williams

5th Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
7 May 2019
SpeakerJonathan O'Dea
Preceded byThomas George
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
Assumed office
26 March 2011
Preceded byPeter Besseling
Personal details
Born
Leslie Gladys Uren

Kangaroo Island, South Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal
Other political
affiliations
The Nationals (Until 2020)
Spouse(s)Don Williams
RelationsVickie Chapman (cousin)
Ted Chapman (uncle)
ResidenceLake Cathie, New South Wales
OccupationSmall business owner and nurse
Websitelesliewilliams.com.au

Background

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.[1]

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.[1]

Political career

Williams' first tilt at public office was at the 2007 State Election where she was defeated by Nationals-turned-independent member, Rob Oakeshott.[5] Williams gained a 3.4 percent swing towards 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 towards Williams and the Nationals.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7] 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][8]

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.[9][10] She became a Liberal Party member later that night.[11]

Personal life

Williams is the cousin of South Australian Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman, and niece of Vickie's father Ted Chapman.[12]

References

  1. "Leslie Williams – Candidate for Port Macquarie". The Nationals team. National Party. 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  2. 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. "No surprise as the Nats' back Leslie Williams". Port Macquarie News. Fairfax Media. 10 February 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  6. "Williams whitewash". Port Macquarie News. Fairfax Media. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  7. "Close battle expected in Port Macquarie electorate". ABC News. Australia. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  8. "Mrs Leslie Gladys WILLIAMS, BNurs, DipTeach MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  9. "NSW Nationals MP Leslie Williams resigns to join Liberals". ABC News. Australia. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. Smith, Alexandra (20 September 2020). "'Unhelpful and politically reckless': NSW Nationals MP quits to join Liberals". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  11. "NSW Nationals MP Leslie Williams defects to Liberals over koala policy saga". SBS News. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  12. "Former KI schoolgirl now a NSW Minister". The Islander. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Peter Besseling
Member for Port Macquarie
2011–date
Incumbent
Preceded by
Thomas George
Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
2019–date
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Victor Dominello
Assistant Minister for Education
2015–2017
Succeeded by
Sarah Mitchell
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
2015–2017
New title Minister for Early Childhood Education
2015–2017
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