BY-ELECTION STATEMENT

"Being the Member for Mayo has been the most rewarding and humbling role I have ever held and I am so honoured to have been given the opportunity to represent my community once again.

With the support and feedback from the people of Mayo I have been able to build the capacity of our community, including the introduction of a 24-hour doctor service at Mount Barker Hospital, reinstate road funding cut from SA in 2014 and I have improved policy outcomes in Canberra.

I have worked with my Centre Alliance colleagues to negotiate an extra $424 million for SA schools, company tax cuts for small businesses with turnovers below $50 million and for welfare reform that included $20 million for South Australian drug rehabilitation.

We also held Government to account. Asking tough questions and using Senate powers to uncover mismanagement of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Because I sat on the cross-bench we had the numbers to pressure the Government to eventually set up the Banking Royal Commission.

Millions of dollars of much needed additional Federal funding has been attracted to Mayo and indeed South Australia, and millions more have now been promised.

Like I did with the promises made in 2016, I will make sure the pledges for our community to boost mental health services, to increase aged care beds and to improve community facilities and local roads are honoured by this Government.

I will also honour my own commitments to advocate for a renal dialysis unit, Medicare-rebatable MRI services, a tax offset for Kangaroo Island residents, a shop-front Headspace for the Fleurieu, transparency in staffing ratios in aged care facilities and more resources for our elderly needing care.

I will continue to leverage my role on the cross-bench to catch up on our backlog of infrastructure needs, including upgrades to the Victor Harbor Road.

Our community want to phase out long-haul live sheep exports and grow local meat processing jobs and I will fight to restore funding to the ABC, to put in place a moratorium on mining in the Great Australian Bight and to create a research institute in SA to protect the health of our section of the River Murray.

To those who voted for me, supported me and volunteered for me in the past two and half years, thank you so much for your enthusiasm, your encouragement and your help. I could not have done it without you.

My campaign was driven by a volunteer team of nearly 800 people which is humbling and inspiring and I am so grateful for their help.

To those who did not vote for me, please be assured that I represent all the people of Mayo and my office door is always open to hearing your concerns.

Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my family. Thank you for your support and the many sacrifices you have made to enable me to serve our community."