I am very honoured to be named Special Envoy for the Arts by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

As someone whose first love was classical music, whose escape is novels, and whose first act after losing a home in a bushfire was to hang local art on the bare walls of a temporary home, I couldn’t be happier having the privilege to support the creators.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to work closely in this new role with the Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, with his vision for a cultural policy that rebuilds and shapes the sector’s future.

As the mother of both a musician and an actor, I have seen first-hand the challenges and triumphs of working in the arts.

It was with dismay that I saw the previous government ignore the needs of the sector during Covid, when these are the artists, performers, musicians and crew who so willingly step up for the community in times of crisis to help raise funds for bushfire and flood victims, but who were themselves abandoned.

And I will continue to be a voice for community arts and entertainment, which brings richness to people’s daily lives in local regions such as mine in the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury. My commitment to fighting for the people of Macquarie remains unwavering.