Rowan Ramsey’s representation of his electorate of Grey over the last 17 years has been marked by tireless efforts to listen to communities across Grey, passionately represent them and demonstrate effective leadership within them.
Rowan truly has gone the extra mile to represent this vast electorate, indeed he has clocked up hundreds of thousands of extra miles to crisscross Grey and ensure every community, no matter how large or small, has been heard.
In calling time on his parliamentary service, Rowan has made a difficult decision to walk away from what is clearly a vocation for him, but does so at a time of his choosing that has been made with the interests of his community at the forefront of his consideration.
Representing an electorate which covers 90 per cent of South Australia requires a level of commitment above and beyond that required of many Members. From major centres of Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Port Pirie, Kadina and Clare and the many smaller regional towns in between, he has been a driving force right across his electorate to secure the best for those he represents.
Rowan’s determination to secure the best for the people of Grey is absolute and I know it will remain so, right up until the next election when he retires.
As a former Finance Minister, I know very well the level of Rowan’s unwavering effort to secure much-needed funds for road improvements in his electorate. There is no doubt that he has achieved a lot with unprecedented investment in the road network including the Pt. Wakefield Overpass, dual lanes for the Augusta Highway and a second bridge at Pt. Augusta.
In the Parliament he has served with distinction as Government Whip in the House of Representatives under the former Coalition Government and also in Opposition. In addition, he has represented the needs of regional Australians in his work on committees including those focused on agriculture, water, trade and investment growth.
Rowan has always brought a principled and thoughtful approach to his parliamentary service, from early debates around the abolition of the wheat single desk, the pursuit of trade liberalisation, investment in agricultural research and development, and the need for critical infrastructure investment in regional communities.
Of note about Rowan’s service has been the selfless way in which he balanced national interest with community interest regarding Australia’s need to resolve decades of impasse over the safe storage of low-level nuclear waste. Australia is weakened by the Albanese Government’s abandonment of the solution championed by Rowan Ramsey.
I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Rowan as a fellow South Australian Liberal representative for the remainder of his term and know that he will continue to go those extra miles for Grey. I extend my deepest gratitude for his service to the people of Grey and South Australia and wish Rowan, his wife Teresa who has been an invaluable partner on this journey, and their family the very best on their next chapter.