Pittwater Life March 2023 Issue

Election 2023
‘I’ll leave it to others to judge’
Rob Stokes reflects on his time as Pittwater’s Member of Parliament. Interview by Nigel Wall
Q: Congratulations on your
16 years’ service to Pittwater.
Did you envisage you would
serve that long when you
were first elected in 2007?
When I was first elected I
made a personal commitment
that I would serve a minimum
of eight years and a maximum
of 16 years, assuming I was
elected each term.
Q: The world has changed
considerably in 16 years
(smart phones, social media):
has that made it easier or
harder for politicians to
deliver their messages and
services?
Politics has become more
flexible and immediate. Media
and communications is less
relational, more transactional,
so it is easier to communicate
directly to the community,
but there is less editorial
scrutiny of political claims
and messaging.
Q: You served your first
term in opposition – was it
difficult to achieve outcomes
for the local community?
Yes! Opposition was an
amazing training ground; it
is possible to deliver small
wins in opposition, but the
last Labor Government had
so little money and so little
capacity to deliver, that being
at the end of the queue was
hard work.
Q: What achievements within
the Pittwater electorate are
you most proud of?
I’ll leave that to others to
judge!
Q: What achievements
external to Pittwater
electorate are you most
proud of being associated
with?
I don’t really feel comfortable
being a judge in my own
cause… I guess it was great
to be part of a team that
formulated an economic plan
to be in a position to deliver
infrastructure, social and
environment outcomes. We
haven’t been a government
that merely transacted the
business in front of us, but
we really sought to transform
the State.
Q: The most surprisingly
easy – and most surprisingly
NOW & THEN: Rob Stokes at the opening of the new Mona Vale Surf Life
Saving club in 2022; and his first pic as MP in 2007.
difficult – things to achieve?
Easy – funding for stage two
Mona Vale Road. The biggest
single budget outcome for
Pittwater was easy because
we had done all the hard
work arguing for the initial
funding. The hardest would
be the B-Line and Keoride. A
service that has transformed
access to public transport
across Pittwater met strong
opposition from people who
thought it was a Trojan horse
for high-density development.
Q: Any things/projects you
have been associated with
that you wish could have
been actioned/finished but
for whatever reason have not
been able to?
I’d love to be in office to
see the completion of Mona
Vale and Narrabeen North
Public School upgrades, as
well as the upgrades to Mona
Vale Road and Wakehurst
Parkway. But my main job
was to get the funding – so
the important work is done.
The unfinished work includes
the completion of the final
configuration of services at
Mona Vale Hospital and the
upgrade of Newport Surf Club
– and I’ll happily help from
the sidelines.
Q: There are some voters
who view candidates or
sitting MPs in major parties
such as Liberal or Labor as
beholden to powerbrokers
and majority faction
members of their Party;
what’s your view?
Well, you have to be part of a
team in power to get anything
done – so the trick is to be a
leader of the team in power.
To become a leader you need
to work hard and collegiately
with others to prove yourself
and build trust. It’s the same
in any organisation.
Q: How has the political
landscape changed over the
past 16 years and what is
your view on the rise of the
Independents at both Federal
and potentially State level?
The left and right are moving
further apart. Both the
Australian Democrats and
the Christian Democrats have
disappeared, replaced by the
Greens to the left and One
Nation and the Shooters to the
right. Both Liberal and Labor
get punished by protest-style
independents when either
stray too far from the centre
ground. As the extremes get
more vociferous, the need
to listen to the majority is
becoming more important.
This means the major parties
need to realise they have
more in common than they do
with those parties and groups
to their left and right.
Q: You can’t please everyone:
what’s your message to
those in the community
who remain vocally critical
about the redevelopment of
Mona Vale Hospital precinct
(or in their words closure);
the amalgamated Northern
Beaches Council; and a
perceived overdevelopment
in Pittwater?
Mona Vale Hospital is open!
More than 400 amazing
health professionals work at
Mona Vale Hospital providing
incredible services to our
local community. Sure,
the role of the hospital
has changed, but let’s not
disrespect the hospital
staff by downplaying the
significance of their work.
As to the Council – the
boundaries of the three
councils on the Northern
Beaches never made any
sense. They split catchments
in half, so that many
intractable drainage and
environmental issues were
never properly addressed.
I still think 15 councillors
is a lot (I reckon five Ward
councillors and a popular
Mayor is a model worth
considering) – but there will
never be an administrative
arrangement that will keep
everyone happy.
Q: Any individuals or groups
you would like to thank?
Everyone! There is literally
no-one in the community I
don’t want to thank… I have
been so blessed to work with
an amazing community
whose support I will always
cherish. But a special shoutout
must go to Andrew, Jane
and Melissa in the Electorate
Office.
Q: How would you like to be
remembered in 20 years?
As a loving husband and
father!
Q: You’re only 48 years old;
what’s next for Rob Stokes?
Not sure yet…
Q: Anything else?
Thank you Pittwater Life for
being a remarkably resilient
little journal. One of the
special delights of Pittwater is
having a beautiful magazine
that encapsulates our way of
life and our unique character
as a community.
54 MARCH 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991