Rob Stokes

Robert Gordon Stokes (born 17 January 1975), an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for Planning and Public Spaces in the second Berejiklian ministry since April 2019.[1][2][3] He is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Pittwater for the Liberal Party since 2007.

The Honourable Rob Stokes MP
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 April 2019
Premier	Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by	Anthony Roberts (as Minister for Planning)
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Pittwater
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 March 2007
Preceded by	Alex McTaggart
Majority	25.4 points (2015)
Minister for Education
In office 30 January 2017 – 23 March 2019
Premier	Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by	Adrian Piccoli
Succeeded by	Sarah Mitchell (as Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning)
Minister for Planning
In office 2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Pru Goward
Succeeded by	Anthony Roberts
Minister for the Environment
In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Robyn Parker
Succeeded by	Mark Speakman
Minister for Heritage
In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Robyn Parker
Succeeded by	Mark Speakman
Assistant Minister for Planning
In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	new title
Succeeded by	Mark Speakman
Minister for the Central Coast
In office 6 May 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Mike Baird
Preceded by	Mike Gallacher
Succeeded by	portfolio abolished
Personal details
Born	Robert Gordon Stokes 17 January 1975
Political party	Liberal Party
Alma mater	Macquarie University
Occupation	Planner

Stokes has previously served as the Minister for Education from January 2017 until March 2019 in the First Berejiklian ministry;[4] the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Heritage, the Assistant Minister for Planning, and the Minister for the Central Coast during 2014 and 2015 in the first Baird government;[5][6] and the Minister for Planning from April 2015 until January 2017 in the second Baird government.[7]

Background and early career

Stokes grew up in Mona Vale. He attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) and obtained his Higher School Certificate in 1991.[8] He obtained a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws and a PhD at Macquarie University; a Diploma of Biblical Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.[9]

Stokes was an associate with the law firm David Begg & Associates in Martin Place, Sydney. He also worked in a number of other legal firms including one at Mona Vale.[10][11] He subsequently became a lecturer in the Division of Law at Macquarie University.[12] He became a member of the Young Lawyers Association of New South Wales and was a member of both the Environmental Law and CLE Committees. He became a presidential nominee in 2004 and was elected to Executive Council at the 2004 Annual Assembly.[13]

Political career

Stokes was a policy adviser to Liberal Opposition Leader John Brogden, the Member for Pittwater. When Brogden resigned in controversial circumstances,[14] the 2005 by-election was won by independent candidate Alex McTaggart in what many described as a shock result. Pittwater had long been reckoned as a classic "blue ribbon" Liberal seat.[15][16] Less than two years later, Stokes regained the seat for the Liberals at the 2007 general election.[17] He won the seat with 50.3 per cent of the primary vote, just over the 50 per cent threshold required to win the seat outright, and 59.4 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis.[18]

After the election, Stokes established his electorate office in Mona Vale. Stokes paid tribute to John Brogden in his inaugural speech to the NSW Parliament on 31 May 2007.[19]

At the 2011 general election, Stokes was re-elected with a swing of 21.7 points, gaining 84.5 per cent of the two-party vote. Stokes' main competitor was the Greens Jonathan King.[20] Following the election, Stokes was appointed as NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy in the O'Farrell government.[21]

Owing to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier,[22] and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader,[5] Stokes was appointed as Minister for the Environment, Minister for Heritage, and Assistant Minister for Planning and appointed as a member of cabinet.[9][23] Two weeks later, following the resignation of Mike Gallacher, Stokes was appointed as Minister for the Central Coast.[6] Following the 2015 state election, Stokes was sworn in as the Minister for Planning on 2 April 2015 in the second Baird government.[7] Following the resignation of Mike Baird as Premier,[24] Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier.[25][26][27] The first Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed with Stokes sworn in as the Minister for Education with effect from 30 January 2017.[4] Following the 2019 state election Stokes was appointed as the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces in the second Berejiklian ministry, with effect from 2 April 2019.[28]

Climate Change

Stokes introduced a controversial bill in October 2019, following a concerted lobbying campaign by the NSW Minerals Council to stop planning authorities from considering the climate pollution of exported Australian coal when determining new mining projects.[29] The introduction and consideration of the bill to roll back existing environmental protections was during a period of ‘catastrophic’ bushfire danger throughout New South Wales.[30] Paul Stein QC, a former Supreme Court judge and environmental law expert has warned NSW's push to stop greenhouse gas emissions being considered in mining decisions is a "dangerous retrograde step".[31]

See also

• First Baird ministry
• Second Baird ministry
• First Berejiklian ministry
• Second Berejiklian ministry

References

1. "Government Notices (30)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 2 April 2019. p. 1088-1090. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
2. "Premier announces new Cabinet" (Press release). Premier of New South Wales. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
3. Han, Sophie (2 April 2019). "Berejiklian's new massive cabinet sworn in amid peals of laughter". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
4. "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". Australia: Sky News. AAP. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
5. Nicholls, Sean (22 April 2014). "Mike Baird's cabinet reshuffle a preparation for next election". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
6. Hasham, Nicole (6 May 2014). "Stuart Ayres shines on first day as Police Minister". The Age. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
7. Hasham, Nicole (3 April 2015). "Premier Mike Baird's new NSW cabinet sworn in: Gladys Berejiklian and Gabrielle Upton first female Treasurer and Attorney-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
8. "President's Report 2007". Old Boys' Union. Shore School. 2007.
9. "The Hon. (Rob) Robert Gordon STOKES, MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
10. "People power can make a difference". Postgrad and beyond. Macquarie University. 2006. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
11. "Robert Stokes Gets In!" (PDF). Business Law Bulletin. Macquarie University. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
12. "Rob Stokes". Rob Stokes. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
13. "2005 Executive Councillors". Young Lawyers Association of New South Wales. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
14. "NSW politician quits after slur". BBC News. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
15. "Pittwater Shock". Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 November 2005. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
16. "Wipeout: party brawls begin". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 November 2005. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
17. "Libs on warpath in Pittwater". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 March 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
18. "Pittwater". NSW Votes 2007. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 April 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
19. Rob Stokes (31 May 2007). "Inaugural Speeches". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Parliament of New South Wales: Legislative Assembly. p. 613–616. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
20. "Pittwater". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
21. Nicholls, Sean (22 April 2014). "Ministers axed in NSW shake-up". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
22. "Barry O'Farrell quits as NSW Premier over memory fail". The Australian. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
23. "Mike Baird's NSW cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
24. Jacques, Owen (19 January 2017). "Baird resigns: NSW Premier to quit top job and Parliament". The Satellite. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
25. "Swearing-In of The Honourable Gladys Berejiklian MP, the 45th Premier of New South Wales, and The Honourable John Barilaro MP, Deputy Premier". Vice Regal Program. Governor of New South Wales. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
26. "Ministers". parliament.nsw.gov.au. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
27. Clennell, Andrew (26 January 2017). "Premier Gladys Berejiklian plans major reshuffle for cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
28. Sas, Nick (31 March 2019). "Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
29. Visentin, Lisa (12 November 2019). "NSW Planning Minister rejects claims of mining lobby influence as bill delayed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
30. "As bushfires rage, NSW Parliament will consider weakening environmental protections". The Feed. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
31. Smith, Alexandra (5 November 2019). "'NSW should be alarmed': Former judge slams planning laws". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2019.