ALISON BYRNES MP
MEMBER FOR CUNNINGHAM

Today Stephen Jones, the Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Financial Services and Member for Whitlam has announced his retirement at the upcoming federal election.

Stephen has shown unwavering dedication to the Illawarra and Southern Highlands over the past 15 years, having won five elections, becoming the last Member for Throsby and the first Member for Whitlam.

Born and raised in the Illawarra region with strong working-class roots, Stephen has always been a champion for workers' rights and social justice. Before entering politics, he served as the Secretary of Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) where he advocated for fair wages and greater job security.

During his Parliamentary career, Stephen served in various capacities, including as the Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications and Shadow Minister for Financial Services. Like my predecessor Sharon Bird, Stephen was always a strong advocate for our local steel and coal industries.

During his time as Minister for Financial Services, he has created a profound legacy in combatting financial fraud and strengthening superannuation. His innovative policies and decisive actions significantly strengthened protections for all Australians, set new standards in the fight against scams and has enhanced the transparency and accountability of our financial institutions.

Throughout his entire career, Stephen has been a passionate advocate for social justice, including for marriage equality. In 2012, he put forward a Private Member’s Bill for same-sex marriage - one of the first serious legislative efforts on the issue. He continued this fight through the 2017 Marriage Equality Plebiscite where he was instrumental in the Yes Campaign, leading to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

His tireless efforts in securing $25 million to establish the Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre is also to be commended. This will make a significant difference in the lives of many women and their families across our region and his continuous advocacy from opposition to government was instrumental for the project.

I want to thank Stephen for his friendship and the support that he has given me during my first term, and for the dedication he has shown for our region during his time in public office. We will miss his presence greatly in the Illawarra and we wish Stephen, Brooke, Jess and Paddy all the best in their future endeavours.