I have a strong interest in local politics.

My political views may be characteristed as conservative and centre-right.

I believe in small and non-interventionist government.

I believe that the promotion and encouragement of enterprise and industry is the true creator of wealth and employment.

I believe that society must provide a social net to ensure a quality of life for all citizens, but that one can enjoy the highest standards of health, education and comfort through taking responsibility for their own situation.

I am a member of the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) and am actively involved.

In 1999, while teaching at the University of Newcastle, I founded and developed The University of Newcastle Liberal Club. The club was affiliated with the Australian Liberal Students Federation and at its annual conference that year, my club received the "Most Improved Club" award, which was a wonderful recognition of our hard work and activism on campus.

During this time I ran for election as the official Liberal Party candidate for the state seat of Newcastle. Newcastle is an industrial city with high levels of unionism and a mindset of generational employment, and so this election was very comfortable for my left-wing opponent: I lost the election with 20.13% of the vote, compared to the Labor Party's 53.09%.

Following the election, I revived the nearly-departed Newcastle Young Liberals branch of the Liberal Party in July 1999. The following 12 months were a very exciting time - I successfully moved policy motions at the Liberal Party's state convention and we became the largest Young Liberal branch in the entire Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie region. We won awards - "Best Country Branch" in 1999, and "Best Branch Newsletter" in 2000 and again in 2001.

I was elected to the Sydney-centric state executive of the NSW Young Liberal movement for 1999-2000 and worked to strengthen country and regional branches. I fought for greater inclusion of regional branches in the movement's activity.

After this period, I sought involvement with the wider Liberal Party, and was elected to the NSW Division's State Platform Committee for 2000-2001. I am now a member of a policy advisory committee to Federal Education Minister, Dr. Brendan Nelson.

In 2001, I stood as the endorsed Liberal Party candidate for the Federal seat of Newcastle. Newcastle is unique in having been held continuously by the Labor Party since the Federation of Australia in 1901 - and this election was to prove no different. I lost again, but interestingly my Labor opponent's vote was reduced to just over 40% - only the second time ever in 101 years they did not win on primary votes alone. I believe this reflects a change in the mood of the electorate.

You can read some of the articles and press releases I wrote during my time in the Young Liberals, using the links on the right-hand side of this page.