Preceded by Victor Dominello Majority 9.9 (2015) Preceded by new title Nationality Australian | Preceded by Victor Dominello Name Leslie Williams Preceded by Peter Besseling Role Australian Politician | |
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Full Name Leslie Gladys Uren Party National Party of Australia Residence Lake Cathie, New South Wales, Australia | ||
Leslie Gladys Williams (born on Kangaroo Island, South Australia), an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Port Macquarie since 2011 for the Nationals. Williams has served as the New South Wales Assistant Minister for Education, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Minister for Early Childhood Education since 2 April 2015.
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Background
Williams early career was in teaching in regional South Australia and 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 Lake Cathie post office and now operate a mail delivery service. At the same time, Williams completed a degree in nursing and worked in the medical and palliative care ward at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
Williams' community involvement includes membership of the Rotary Club of Laurieton, a director of both the Hastings Men's Shed and the Suicide Prevention Network and is a volunteer for various organisations including the Cancer Council of New South Wales and the Salvation Army.
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. 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.
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. Her victory was put down in part to anger and Besseling's association with Oakeshott, who kept federal Labor in office as a minority government after the 2010 federal election. 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.
Personal life
Williams is the cousin of South Australian MP Vickie Chapman, and niece of Vickie's father Ted Chapman.