As the newly elected Premier of NSW my Government is working hard to balance the need to support the people of NSW while also making tough decisions about spending.

Our State is experiencing a once-in-a-generation cost of living crisis and increasing electricity bills and food prices on the back of 12 interest rate rises in 14 months.

My Government inherited $129 billion in debt which is the largest debt ever handed down from one Government to another in the history of NSW.

If the careless spending of the previous Coalition Government continued, the State's debt was projected to have reached $187 billion by 2026, with the interest payable on that debt set at a staggering $7 billion per year.

That is bigger than the total budget for the NSW Police and TAFE combined.

On top of this we have uncovered a $7 billion budget blackhole. These are programs, like active kids that the previous Government cut from their budget without telling the people of NSW.

I want to assure the people of Kogarah that my Government is working hard to tackle the cost-of-living crisis so families no longer have to live month-to-month in fear of the next interest rate rise or their next utility bill or their next visit to the supermarket.

There are tough choices ahead. They will not be easy, but they cannot be avoided.

Ignoring them means taking the risk that inflation continues to persist; interest rates continue to rise; living standards continue to fall; and the State's finances continue to deteriorate.

As your Premier and State Member of Parliament, I am committed to spending taxpayer money more responsibly, ending the waste and mismanagement of the previous Government and getting our state's finances under control.

Yours sincerely,

The Hon. Chris Minns MP
Premier of New South Wales
Member for Kogarah