Hugh McDermott for Prospect

On Monday, 17  October,  voting commences for the election of your 16 representatives on the  NSW Labor Policy Forum.    With your support, we can work together to rebuild NSW Labor by ensuring ALP policy is aligned with our strengths, values and beliefs.   If elected, I will pursue 3 key priorities:

1. Rebuild NSW Labor to win future elections

The loss at the 2011 State election was the end of a decade of decline of our Labor Party.  Over the  years we have seen membership and Branch numbers diminish to an unacceptable level. We all have opinions and views why this has  happened, and who or what we feel is responsible.

Putting these thoughts aside, one thing is certain. The decline must stop and we must put into place new strategies and structures that will re-engage the electorate, recruit a new generation (regardless of age  – both young and old - of Labor activists and take the fight to the Liberal-National Coalition. We owe this not only to those "true believers" that have continued to support us at the ballot box, but also  to those electors that became disillusioned with Labor and whose trust and confidence we must earn back.

With your support, I am committed to this rebuilding – not only to put  us in a position to win back many seats in the next election – but to create a growing membership base that is committed to reinvigorating the  NSW Labor movement in the long term.

2. Encourage the creation of progressive policy to re-establish Labor values

NSW Labor has always been the State Branch that led the way in progressive pragmatic policy and actions. However, our Labor values have not always been reflected in the recent actions of those in power. We just need to think of the heated debate concerning electricity privatisation or the ICAC investigations to confirm this concern. In  turn, the electorate no longer believed that NSW Labor reflected our core vales.

We now have an opportunity to realign NSW Labor policy with our core labor values. While the 2011 election loss was deeply disappointing for all of us, it has brought a resolve from many in the Party to reform the way we develop policy. Forums such as the NSW Labor Policy Forum create  a platform for rank and file members, trade union officials, and elected  representatives to debate issues and influence policy outside the traditional forums like State Conference.

If elected to the NSW Labor Policy Forum, underpinning my views would be  what I see as core Labor values. These include providing opportunities  for those who work hard to achieve their dreams, protecting the vulnerable, creating an environment where people feel safe and secure in  their homes and at work, and respecting people with different views, beliefs and backgrounds. With these values as a basis, we will be able to create progressive policy that is aligned to the values we share as Labor Party members.

3. Represent the views of Labor members living in Western Sydney

Having lived in Parramatta through the 1990s and now in Greystanes with my       fiancé Bettina, I have seen many changes in Western Sydney over the past  20 years.   People who live along the M4 and M5 cannot all be stereotyped as blue  collar workers living in Struggle Street.

We are people who have professional careers; we are executives in listed companies and government agencies, and business owners. We are also successful tradespeople, educators and healthcare providers.

We work hard so that we can make choices about the sort of life we want for ourselves and our families. We want to choose whether or not to  holiday in Australia or overseas, whether or not to start a family, or whether or not to send our children to private school. We don't expect a free ride, but we do expect the same opportunities as everyone else and to be able to enjoy the rewards of our hard work.

Having come from a modest background, I have taken every opportunity  available to me to get an education and work experience that has allowed me to have a successful legal and academic career. I am committed to ensuring Labor policy continues to create these opportunities for others. While these views are not unique to Labor members living in Western Sydney, they are central for many of us who have not come from a privileged background but who have worked hard and been successful in our lives.

If you agree with my views on rebuilding NSW Labor, then I would appreciate your support on Monday.