Barry's Coalition Team

About Barry

Personal Background

The O'Farrell family - Barry, Rosemary, Tom and Will - live at Roseville in Sydney's northern suburbs.

Outside Parliament, Barry enjoys time with his family including his sons' weekend sport, reading about Australia's heroism in World War II, bushwalking, and following cricket.

With Tom, his son, and Liberal colleague Charlie Lynn, Barry walked the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea last year.

Growing up, Barry experienced different parts of Australia, as his dad was in the Australian Army.

Barry went to the Australian National University in Canberra and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history, politics and Aboriginal indigenous studies in 1980. Barry joined the Liberal Party that same year.

Professional Background

Determined to make a contribution, Barry worked as a public policy advisor at both the State and Federal levels in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also served as NSW State Director of the Liberal Party in the mid 1990s.

Barry was elected to NSW Parliament in 1995 and now represents the electorate of Ku-ring-gai. In his inaugural speech to Parliament, Barry said:

"I am proud of the fact that my Party is the only political party not beholden to sectional interests. We do not kowtow to business, labour or rural interests. Instead, we represent each equally... This whole-of-community representation is what allows us to make decisions based on what is right, not on what is demanded of us."

After holding key posts, such as Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Transport Minister, Barry was elected unopposed by his Liberal colleagues as NSW Liberal Leader in April 2007.

Since becoming NSW Liberal Leader, Barry has championed several key issues on behalf of the people of NSW and forced Labor's hand on:

• improving child protection services;
• cleaning up political donations;
• protecting whistleblowers and other accountability measures;
• ensuring the public interest was served in any electricity asset sale, and;
• confronting Labor's financial mess, such as NSW's $42 billion debt - or $6,000 per person.

Barry has also led significant reform of the NSW Division of the Liberal Party to ensure it is united and effective, and prepared for government.

Authorised by Mark Neeham, Level 9, 140 William Street, East Sydney, NSW 2011.
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