It is hard not to feel that the year has run away from us and I am often struck how we seem to spend all of our time looking forward rather than enjoying the moments. Well I have decided to do something very non-gen Y today and that is to look back at the past year.

It is a year ago this week that I gave my maiden speech in Parliament. I remember the event very clearly from the sight of friends in the public gallery to the "pin drop quiet" sense in the chamber as I began the speech. It was a long journey to that point and many had shared the dreams/burdens along the way.

In the speech I highlighted some key concerns or themes and it is satisfying we have made progress in key areas.

A top priority was my impassioned desire to always put Manly first in my time in Macquarie Street. In the past year we have fought for our ferries (with commuters making their case directly to the Commissioner and then the Minister for Transport); stood up for the precious environment at North Head and our penguins; seen record funding secured to clean-up our lagoons; kept the Health Minister on her toes to deliver our new Northern Beaches Hospital; drawn the Government’s attention to the need for more education facilities with our kindergartens bursting at the seams; and after years of inaction on the Spit corridor we have committed to releasing a plan to solve traffic congestion this year – a plan that will have public transport at its core.

Another strong concern I raised in my speech was that the donation culture in NSW had reached corrosive levels and needed significant reform. I was delighted to see Barry O'Farrell take up this charge at a time when the debate was silent in Macquarie Street and as we have seen he has lead this debate to the point that "all donations" are now under review to be banned. There is no doubt this result will bring more objective legislative outcomes to NSW.

At the outset I also spoke of the huge amount of waste seen in government advertising. In the lead-up to the last State election Morris Iemma spent $110 million in advertising and results just in show that this year the Iemma Government spent close to the same figure. I have said before that the Federal Government had also spent large amounts and there should be increased public scrutiny on this exercise of "self-promotion". If this figure were limited in the last 12 months of a term it would fund an election without the need for any donations – it’s not hard to think of a 100 ways to spend this money more appropriately. Verdict… more to do. 

So, bring on the next 12 months. I continue to welcome your input every step of the way.

Cheers

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