Bega MP Andrew Constance has delivered an emotional speech reaffirming his intention to run for state parliament at the next election and vowing to fight for a fully-duplicated Princes Highway to the Victorian border.
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Speaking in NSW Parliament on Wednesday night, Mr Constance called on the federal government to back an 80/20 funding model for a dual-carriageway from south of Nowra to the border – the key demand of Fairfax Media’s FIX IT NOW campaign.
“The main reason I’m running is I want to fight alongside my community to secure a funding deal between the national and the NSW Governments to duplicate the Princes Highway, south of Jervis Bay turnoff through the Bega Valley, from 2020 to 2030,” Mr Constance said.
He said failing to achieve the funding deal would risk “people either losing their lives or being injured for life”.
“I’m pleading with the PM and the Deputy PM to prioritise this necessary Princes Highway duplication program,” he said.
Watch his speech here
Mr Constance became tearful as he recalled his own family’s experience in a high-speed crash on Tomakin Road near Mogo in 2011.
“My family and myself nearly lost our lives … the fallout from this accident has scarred me for life and had so many personal consequences,” he said.
“This is a highway that should be duplicated so people don’t face the same pain that my family did.”
The speech came after an intense day of speculation from Labor MPs about Mr Constance’s supposed intentions to “abandon” his government and run for the federal seat of Gilmore.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, Mr Constance slammed the claims as “lies”.
“Stop peddling your lies and spin,” he wrote.
“I’m running for Bega. Things must be getting really desperate over at Sussex Street.”
In a statement, NSW Shadow Treasurer Ryan Park claimed Mr Constance was “abandoning (Premier) Gladys Berejiklian on election eve”.
“Pre-recorded ‘robocalls’ to the Gilmore electorate reveal that the Liberal Party is canvassing support for Andrew Constance,” Mr Park said.
“The disgruntled Minister for Transport looks ready to jump ship before the March 2019 election.”
In proposing a motion in parliament to farewell her Liberal opponent, Member for Strathfield Jodi McKay said she would miss Mr Constance. To which he replied – “not as much as I’ll miss you”.
Yesterday, surprise contender and former Labor National President Warren Mundine confirmed he would seek to run in the marginal Gilmore electorate at the next federal election, which will not be recontested by Liberal Ann Sudmalis.
However, he said he had not yet decided which party he would seek to represent.
Mr Mundine, an prominent Indigenous advocate, said he had yet chosen between the Liberals or David Leyonhjelm’s minor party the Liberal Democrats.
"I will make that announcement very soon," he told Sky News on Thursday.
Mr Mundine was one of four names mentioned in a telephone voter recognition poll conducted in Gilmore, along with Andrew Constance, Liberal preselection nominee Grantz Schultz and Shoalhaven Business Chamber president Jemma Tribe.