Camden MP will not contest next election

CAMDEN state Liberal MP Chris Patterson will not contest the next state election in March.

Camden state Liberal MP Chris Patterson will not contest the next election.

CAMDEN state Liberal MP Chris Patterson has announced he will not contest the next state election in March.

The decision will pull the curtain on 18 years of public life, where the 46-year-old has served as a Camden councillor, mayor and state member since 2001.

Camden MP Chris Patterson said it is time for a “new direction”.

Mr Patterson said the decision has been on the cards for a number of months.

“I have been in public life for 18 years so the decision wasn’t made overnight,” he said.

“I have thought about it with the family over the last few months, probably more so as an election is coming.

“You do make a number of personal and family sacrifices for the job. It is now time for me and the family, just time for a different direction.”

Camden MP Chris Patterson with his family, wife Vicki and children Sophie, Thomas, Matthew and Amelia in 2015.

Mr Patterson said “under no circumstances” would a by-election be held, committing to the Camden electorate until the state election.

“I made a commitment and I will be seeing it out and the people of Camden will get to go to the polls in March, as they should,” he said.

The father-of-four, who previously worked as a publican in Camden, said he was “not discounting” any future possibilities but would not be returning to council in the foreseeable future.

Camden MP Chris Patterson, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes at Yandelora School. Photo: Tim Pascoe

Mr Patterson, who has held the Camden state seat since 2011, said Premier Gladys Berejiklian respected his decision.

“She has been nothing but supportive,” he said. “I don’t want to put words in her mouth but I think she would’ve been happy if I stayed, but she fully supported and respected my decision.”

Achievements Mr Patterson said he was most proud of included the number of infrastructure projects in the area across the past eight years.

He is the second state Liberal MP in the Macarthur region to announce he would not be recontesting his seat after Wollondilly MP Jai Rowell confirmed his retirement earlier this year.