Gippsland › Latest news › Darren Chester MP

Darren Chester attends United Nations General Assembly in New York representing federal parliament

Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has been selected to represent the Federal Parliament at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

By news@gippsland - 13th September 2022 - Back to News

Mr Chester and a Labor MP will be appointed as parliamentary advisers for the United Nations sessions which begin later this month and will continue until early December. "It's an enormous honour to be chosen to represent the federal parliament at the United Nations at such a critical time in international affairs," Mr Chester said.

Darren Chester MP with Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud, at Parliament House, selected to represent the federal parliament at the United Nations General Assembly

Understanding international issues

Mr Chester also said, "Representing the federal parliament in New York for a short period will certainly improve my understanding of international issues and the United States political process during the midterm elections."

"Issues such as international security, economic recovery from the pandemic, alleviating poverty, eliminating child exploitation and environmental sustainability are all on the UN agenda and have relevance to my role as a local MP. In a year we commemorate the 75th anniversary of Australia's involvement in UN peacekeeping missions, I will also be interested to learn more about other nations' approaches to supporting veterans and their families."

"As a former Minister, I was fortunate to observe peacekeeping operations and appreciate the valuable role these multinational forces can play in keeping innocent people safe and avoiding conflict. I'm confident that I can learn from the UN experience and bring additional skills and knowledge to my role in the federal parliament when I return." Mr Chester said.

Remaining fully operational

Mr Chester said he would continue his work as Member for Gippsland during the weeks he is based in New York. "We've all become very well-equipped to undertake virtual meetings and offices in Traralgon and Sale will remain fully operational while I undertake my electorate duties remotely," he said.

"Obviously, I won't be able to personally attend the usual community events and functions but I will be in daily contact with my office staff and continue to assist locals with the full range of Federal Government services that we provide."

"I am fortunate to have very experienced local staff who are helping Gippslanders every day with a range of Federal Government matters. At the moment, we have been very busy with issues around the National Disability Insurance Scheme, visas, passports and Centrelink requests. We will continue to work in partnership with local councils, community groups and the new Federal Government Ministers to deliver much-needed funding for projects across Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley." Mr Chester said.

Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com