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Statement – Russell Northe

Russel Northe's statement on his resignation

By Portal Admin - 31st August 2017 - Back to News

Today I'm announcing my intention to recommence my duties as the Member for Morwell. Firstly can I thank family, friends, colleagues and the community for their understanding and support during my absence. I also thank my staff for their amazing loyalty and commitment in what has been a difficult time for them as well. Without the many kind words, support and understanding, I can sincerely say I wouldn't be here today

This has been an incredibly difficult period particularly for my family given the circumstances of my illness. It's obvious to me now that I have been battling mental illness and related issues for some time. These issues know no bounds and many people in our community unfortunately suffer from same. Many people had tried to assist me along the way with my personal problems and I know I have to repay those same people for their amazing support.

Being an MP is a very privileged but challenging job and not without significant stresses. Major events such as the Black Saturday fires, the Morwell mine fire and the closure of Hazelwood Power Station and Carter Holt Harvey have had a significant emotional impact.

"This has been compounded by a number of matters of a personal nature of which I have also struggled. Thanks to the wonderful support I have received from my family, health professionals and community members, I now feel I am in a better position to address the challenges I face. The path to recovery involves resuming my duties as an MP. However, I do not underestimate the enormity of the task, but commit to doing all possible to undertake this successfully. To give myself the best chance of succeeding, very reluctantly I have decided to renounce my membership of the National Party. This will relieve me of my broader responsibilities to the Party, giving me more time to serve the Morwell Electorate and to address my personal challenges. I have needed to make some changes in my life to restore my health and that needs to be my immediate focus. State Leader Peter Walsh and its members and supporters have been nothing but totally supportive of me and for that I will be eternally grateful. However the Party needs to move on without me and focus on what it does best in representing regional Victoria. The Nationals in my opinion are the best political party in the world, served by dedicated MP's who are constantly elected because they genuinely care for the regional communities they represent.

My illness and my response to some of the personal challenges I have endured have had a significant impact on my family. It is only their support and strength that has enabled me to take the steps to recovery that I have announced today. I sincerely thank them for that support, and because the challenges my family and I face are a work-in-progress, I request that you will respect my family's privacy. Thank you for coming today, and for the responsible way in which you have acknowledged and observed my personal position over the last few months. I look forward to continuing to work with you in our service to the Electorate of Morwell. Finally I implore any person who is experiencing mental health issues or problems in their life to seek help and don’t be afraid to talk about their problems. My mistake was to not seek help and I hope people can learn from my error of judgement.

Contact: 5133 9088

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com

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