Federal Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie, has today announced that he will retire from politics at the upcoming Federal election.
In a statement, The Nationals thanked Dr Gillespie for his service to the people of Lyne and the wider Australian community.
He has been the sitting member of Lyne since 2013, entering politics with a long list of credentials including cattle producer, gastroenterologist, and Director of Physician Training at Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
“Dr Gillespie has spent more than a decade fighting to improve Australian lives while in Federal Parliament, including working as Minister for Regional Health and Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment, as well as Assistant Minister for Rural Health, Heath, and Children and Families,” said Nationals Leader, David Littleproud.
Dr Gillespie was also an early advocate for the Coalition’s nuclear power plan, with a strong passion for the advances in nuclear medicine, he said.
“He established the Parliamentary Friends of Nuclear Industries, allowing Australian MPs to hear from international experts, and was also responsible for the oversight of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, which is the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety.”
Mr Littleproud said Dr Gillespie’s early insights and groundwork into nuclear energy had “helped set the stage for The Nationals’ cost-of-living plan at the upcoming election, to lower energy bills for all Australian households, and to continue to use nuclear medicine to save lives”.
Dr Gillespie was also a strong advocate for the people of the Mid Coast, Dungog, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Maitland, and Port Stephens Local Government Areas, said Mr Littleproud.
“The Nationals thank Dr Gillespie for his tireless work.”
“The Nationals also acknowledge Dr Gillespie’s wife Charlotte and the couple’s three children and wish the Gillespie family all the best in their next endeavours,” he said.
Dr Gillespie said it had been an honour and privilege to serve and represent the community as the Federal Member for Lyne in the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia since 2013.
“Since that time, we have achieved a lot together. I’m particularly proud of the nine years during The Nationals term in government in which our electorate was able to secure record funding for so many projects throughout our region. It has been a lot of hard work, but also an absolute pleasure working with so many of you involved in various organisations across the community who have helped me deliver these projects,” Dr Gillespie said in a statement.
“Every time I walk into the Parliament and into the House of Representatives Chamber, it is certainly not lost on me, the trust you have placed in me and the importance of the position I hold as your representative.
“In Parliament, I have used this national forum as an opportunity to advocate on behalf of our community and our local industries and work with my parliamentary colleagues on all sides to improve the lives of Australians and help deliver a better country now and in the future. Whether it be in energy policy, tax reform, cutting red tape, infrastructure investment, support of our primary industries and small business, competition policy, aged care, national security, social services, or reform of our Federation, I’ve certainly continued to prosecute the case on why we need to invest and implement common sense policies in these areas,” he said.
