She believes a key factor in winning Bennelong was that she and the Labor party listened to what constituents had to say. She had sensed messages of disappointment in the fields of education, employment and other key areas, she told RBF guests.

Maxine touched on the changes implemented nationally by the government since election, and stressed there is now a global need for greater transparency of financial instruments.

The complexity of the three levels of government we have in Australian and how they interact with each other is being considered by the Council of Australian Governments. Reframing and simplifying these interactions is a topic to be addressed at the 2020 summit in Canberra later this year, Maxine said.

The COAG is strong on investing in human capital, particularly in the key areas of health, and education and skills. Maxine said the government will invest in these areas as well in as a competitive tax system which will encourage small business to grow, and links with research networks.

She said that Bennelong’s high growth and innovation make it Australia’s leading technology corridor, and that reforms and investments the government is planning will ensure that growth and success continues.

Maxine’s role in government is as Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Childcare, and she spoke of her passion for early education and the need for all children under five to have access to pre-school. “The years between nought to five are vital in a child’s education.” As part of her role she regularly visits schools in Bennelong, and believes that “schools are the heart of soul of any electorate and tell you a lot about the community”. Regular Principals’ Forums have been introduced which allow school heads to discuss with government and key stakeholders ideas for improvement.

This is being further expanded into public forums, Maxine said, with the first, ‘Think Big for Bennelong’ planned for after the 2020 Summit. Topics for this first forum are financial transparency, housing and social inclusion.

Maxine took questions from the floor, including one on her beliefs regarding climate change. She stated that there was enough scientific evidence to support the idea that climate change exists. She did comment that the community’s behavioural changes over the last couple of years, implementing water saving and energy saving measures in many households and businesses, weren’t just relevant to climate change. “Think of the way our grandparents used to save and recycle,” she said. “This is a return to that behaviour and saves money for homes and businesses.” She cited Optus and other companies in the Macquarie Park area and praised them for their ‘green’ buildings, pointing out the ongoing cost savings that can be achieved by building and planning in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Airport noise has for many years been a topic of concern for many Bennelong and Hunters Hill residents, and the question was raised about the impact on Bennelong of improvements being made to the east-west runway at Kingsforth Smith Airport. Maxine replied that the Aircraft Forum has been revived and is being chaired by Anthony Albanese, and includes the participation of Mayors from numerous Sydney councils. She also stated that Sydney is a cosmopolitan city, and that people do need the airport to get in and out of it; airport noise is not going to disappear tomorrow but it is being monitored and excess noise addressed.

Our thanks to Maxine McKew for her generous time in addressing our members and guests, and to Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and the fantastic team at North Ryde RSL Community Club for making this breakfast such a success. Pics from the day are below.