What is your name, political party and electorate?
My name is Anthony Roberts, and I am the current Member for Lane Cove, representing the NSW Liberal Party.
Tell us about your background both personally and professionally
I have lived and gone to school in the Lane Cove Electorate since 1982, where I married my wonderful wife Alicia after meeting her at my local SES. Together, we are raising our four sons – John, Sam, Tom and Joey.
Together we are raising our family of four boys and two dogs, Scout and Bear, in North Ryde.
Prior to entering Parliament, where I have held numerous senior Ministerial positions including Leader of the House, I was employed by Price Waterhouse, served with the Army on a peacekeeping deployment to Bougainville, retiring with the rank of Captain, and worked for Prime Minister John Howard.
What are some things you love about your electorate?
Here in Lane Cove, we are lucky to have so much fantastic open space. From the stunning Harbour foreshores to the rugged Lane Cove National Park, we are blessed to be surrounded with such striking environments.
However, it is the people that make the Lane Cove Electorate so special.
The people that make up our sporting clubs, our P&C’s, our mother’s groups, and the dozens of other community groups across the electorate.
Every person I know has mucked in at a working bee, coached their kid’s sporting team and cooked a barbeque.
The willingness of everyone to roll up their sleeves and get involved in making their community a better place continues to amaze me day in and day out.
What do you believe are the 3 main issues affecting your electorate and why?
Over the last few months we have seen increasing inflationary pressure turning up the heat on the family budget. The NSW Government has responded well to these pressures, but we certainly have bigger economic challenges ahead of us.
After the devastating impacts of the global pandemic, we have emerged the only state with a Triple A credit rating. Only a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has the experience of getting the state through tough economic times in one piece.
This election, climate change is clearly an issue for everyone in the Lane Cove Electorate and across NSW. That is why the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has provided a detailed road map to ensure we get the balance right, prioritising our environment whilst preserving economic stability and energy reliability.
Often when I’m standing around the barbeque with other parents, the first topic of conversation that comes up is how much the value of our homes has increased in the last few months. Then quickly, it turns to discussing how our children will afford a home. Housing affordability for the future generations is something that every parent thinks about and our plan for reforming stamp duty will help ease this uncertainty.
What are the 3 key things you plan to achieve if elected?
My priority for this term of Parliament will be working within Government to help address the issues I have outlined in my answers above. Providing cost of living relief, improving housing affordability and guiding the state through this clean energy transition.
Locally, I am focused on ensuring that we continue to deliver generational community infrastructure.
This year we have delivered keystone projects throughout the Lane Cove Electorate. For 45 years the Boronia Park Sports Grandstand was a pipedream – now funding from the NSW Government has made it a reality. Finally, our female athletes will have a safe and private space to change.
There are still many projects I want to deliver for the Lane Cove Electorate so that our children and families continue to have world class sporting grounds, healthcare and education
What about your long term vision for the area?
I want to hand over our community to the next generation, in a better place than which we found it.
I want to ensure that my children have the same opportunities that I had, but also bigger and better opportunities.
I also want them to be able to afford to live and raise a family in this community. I want their families to have the same access to the world class education, health care, infrastructure and open spaces, which we have all benefitted from.
I am confident that the plan that the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is taking to this election, will ensure these services for generations to come and will keep the state moving forward.
Web: www.anthonyrobertsmp.com.au
Phone: 02 9817 4757
Email: lanecove@parliament.nsw.gov.au
