Rob Stokes

Background

Stokes grew up in Mona Vale.

Education

He attended Shore School and obtained his Higher School Certificate in 1991. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws, a Master of Laws and a Doctor of Philosophy at Macquarie University. A Diploma of Bible Studies (at the Ministry Training College in Oxford Falls), and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

Career

Stokes has previously served as the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Heritage, the Assistant Minister for Planning, and the Minister for the Central Coast during 2014 and 2015 in the first Baird government. He also worked in a number of other legal firms including one at Mona Vale. He subsequently became a lecturer in the Division of Law at Macquarie University.

He became a Presidential Nominee in 2004 and was elected to Executive Council at the 2004 Annual Assembly.

Stokes was a policy advisor to Liberal Opposition Leader John Brogden, the Member for Pittwater. Less than two years later, Stokes regained the seat for the Liberals at the 2007 general election.

After the election, Stokes established his electorate office in Mona Vale. Stokes paid tribute to John Brogden in his inaugural speech to the NSW Parliament on 31 May 2007.

At the 2011 general election, Stokes was re-elected with a swing of 21.7 points, gaining 84.5 per cent of the two-party vote.

Following the election, Stokes was appointed as NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Renewable Energy in the O"Farrell government. Two weeks later, following the resignation of Mike Gallacher, Stokes was appointed as Minister for the Central Coast. Following the 2015 state election, Stokes was sworn in as the Minister for Planning on 2 April 2015 in the second Baird government.

Achievements

• When Brogden resigned in controversial circumstances, the 2005 by-election was won by independent candidate Alex McTaggart in what many described as a shock result.

Politics

He was elected with a swing of 26.9 per cent, and won the seat with 59.4 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis. Stokes" main competitor was the Greens Jonathan King.

Membership

He is also a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Pittwater for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2007. He became a member of the Young Lawyers Association of New South Wales and was a member of both the Environmental Law and Continuing legal education Committees. Due to the resignation of Barry O"Farrell as Premier, and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader, Stokes was appointed as Minister for the Environment, Minister for Heritage, and Assistant Minister for Planning and appointed as a member of cabinet.

Connections

associate:

David Begg