A promotion for Walt
NSW Opposition Leader-elect Jodi McKay has appointed Walt Secord as NSW Shadow Treasurer – elevating him from Shadow Health Minister.
Walt and Julia Secord
Walt Secord will remain deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel; deputy chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Armenia and Shadow Minister for the Arts.
Mr Secord said he was “excited by the promotion”.
First elected in 2011, Mr Secord has been shadow health minister since 2014.
He was also given the added responsibility of Special Shadow Minister of State.
Mr Secord worked at the Australian Jewish News from 1988 to 1991 and his wife, Julia is a member of the Emanuel Synagogue. In May, he became an associate member of the synagogue.
He said he looked forward to developing policies to encourage job growth and investment in NSW – as well as developing policies that supported families and responded to the pressures of the cost of living.
As part of the reshuffle, newly elected Labor leader Jodi McKay added the responsibility of the multicultural portfolio to her duties, in a clear signal to diverse communities across NSW that Labor is putting them at the heart of its decision-making processes.
Ms McKay said: “One of my first priorities as the newly elected NSW Labor Leader will be to listen to multicultural communities across NSW and put them at the centre of everything our party does.
“I represent one of the most diverse communities. I have always been proud to stand up for multicultural communities and to make sure Australians from all backgrounds are treated with fairness and respect.
“Labor has a long and proud history of supporting multiculturalism in NSW and under my leadership, we will listen to communities across the state so they can thrive like never before.
“This is one very important plank of my agenda, which will be to fight for fairness and respect for everyone across NSW. We’re a community, not a corporation, and Labor under my leadership is going to be a very big tent with a very big heart.”
Ms McKay said the rest of shadow cabinet would be announced later this week.
