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Truss retires from politics

written by australianaviation.com.au | February 11, 2016

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss at the RAAA national convention. (Seth Jaworski)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss. (Seth Jaworski)

Warren Truss, the minister who unlike so many of his predecessors managed to get work started on building an airport at Sydney’s Badgerys Creek, has resigned from parliament.

The veteran politician stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, as well as leader of the National Party, on February 11.

Truss told parliament in his farewell speech he retires hopeful of being able to see the Badgerys Creek airport up and running.

“When you leave, there is a lot of unfinished business,” Truss told parliament in his farewell speech.

“I would particularly love to have been here for the landing of the first aircraft at Badgerys Creek airport. But that would be another 10 years.

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“It will be 2025, and I hope I am still alive to see it land for the first time. That is a project that I have been very excited about and delighted to have been a part of bringing to fruition.”

First elected to parliament in 1990 as the member for Wide Bay, Truss became leader of National Party of Australia in 2007 and has had two stints at Transport Minister.

In his current term as Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development and the responsible minister for aviation-related matters, Truss ordered an independent review of Australia’s aviation regulatory system in 2013.

The Aviation Safety Regulatory Review made 37 recommendations, of which 32 were accepted in full by the government.

Truss has also overseen change at the top of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), having put in place a new chief executive in Mark Skidmore and appointed Jeff Boyd as chairman.

Elsewhere, Truss also directed the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) to take another look at the Pel-Air Westwind corporate jet ditching off the coast of Norfolk Island in 2009, after the ATSB’s original report was strongly criticised in an independent review conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

Minister for Trade Andrew Robb.
Minister for Trade Andrew Robb.

And the veteran politician has also been the responsible minister that settled on Badgerys Creek as the site for a second Sydney airport.

A second senior government minister – Andrew Robb the Minister for Trade – has also resigned from parliament ahead of the next election.

Truss and Robb have forged new bilateral services agreements with the likes of Canada, Chile, China, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, expanding available capacity available for both Australian and foreign carriers.

Robb also led the Australian government delegation in recently concluded negotiations on the Trans Pacific Partnership, a free trade agreement between 12 countries in the Pacific Rim.

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Comments (4)

  • Brett

    says:

    Proposed Badgerys Creek airport thank very much. The people of western Sydney do not need or want 24/7 hours a day planes over our head. Stop wasting tax payer money on a white elephant. As for Warren goodbye.

  • Raymond

    says:

    Thank you Mr. Truss. Your contribution is appreciated. Common-sense development and progress is very important and we will be grateful for what you’ve helped to achieve in years to come.

  • Mac Carter

    says:

    Thank you Mr Truss for your representation of regional Australia and the promotion of aviation for the benefit of all Australians.

  • John Kersnovski

    says:

    Best Wishes for your retirement, Warren.

    And thanks for all that you have done for Australia and particularly Rural Australia.
    You have been a very quiet achiever and your legacies in Roads, Aviation and Rail will be obvious for many years to come…….. And YES Badgery’s Creek which will be recognized once its starts operating as Sydney’s essential second airport that should have been built two decades ago!

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