Dr Marjorie O’Neill: Coogee MP commits to returning key bus routes to eastern suburbs

Key bus routes in the eastern suburbs will be returning following a convincing victory for Coogee’s Labor MP, who paid tribute to her late father.

An emotional Dr Marjorie O'Neill is greeted by supporters at Club Randwick.

Public transport across Sydney’s south east is set to be thrusted into the spotlight, following the return of Coogee state Labor MP Dr Marjorie O’Neill and the election of Labor to power, in what has been described by experts as a Liberal bloodbath on Saturday night.

In the midst of her commanding victory in the seat of Coogee, Dr Marjorie O’Neill fought back tears as she thanked party faithful, while pledging to bring local issues such as the return of “key bus routes” to the party room.

Dr O’Neill convincingly defeated Liberal candidate Dr Kylie von Muenster, while currently holding a 10.4 per cent swing, which is a considerable change from 2019 where she narrowly defeated the Liberal party’s Bruce Notley-Smith by a mere 2.3 per cent.

While Dr O’Neill didn’t “get involved in politics for swings” she told the Southern Courier she was “still pinching” herself.

“It’s a huge honour and it’s a huge responsibility [to be re-elected to Coogee],” she said.

“It’s really humbling that people trust me [after] four years. They’re happy with the work that we’ve been doing, the support that we’ve been giving them and they are entrusting me for another four years to look after them and to be a leader.”

Marjorie O'Neill during her winning speech.

But the celebrations have been short lived.

Dr O’Neill returned to work early Sunday morning, attending the Randwick Junior Cricket awards, and she detailed interactions with local community members who “can’t wait for our buses to come back”.

Dr O’Neill said she has already devised “the easiest path for us to fix” the problem.

“The priority is [to go] to NSW Transport, sit down with them and get those routes back,” she said.

So much emotion for @MarjorieSONeill at Club Randwick as she retains the seat of Coogee. #NSWpol#nswelectionpic.twitter.com/kPSzMtLjiZ

— Aymon Bertah (@AymonBertah) March 25, 2023

“For us, it’s really about getting those bus routes back into Circular Quay … so getting the 373 and … a number of buses … from Clovelly, from Coogee, that [only] stop at Central, we want them to go right through to Circular Quay.

“It's our understanding from the information we have that the routes are designed by the state government and by NSW Transport under the directive of the minister.”

Dr O’Neill said the victory was far bigger than just retaining her seat.

She explained the moment was “bittersweet”, fighting back tears while drawing back to when she first won in 2019 – hours later learning about the death of her father Brian O’Neill, who suffered from pancreatic cancer.

“I wish my father was here for this moment, I think he’d be incredibly proud [of me],” she said.

“My father always believed in the power of Labor governments, and the power that it could have in transforming people’s lives.”

Member for Coogee Marjorie O'Neill with her late father Brian.

Dr O’Neill said a Labor government would focus on increasing social housing and supporting NSW’s “most vulnerable” – including Indigenous people.

“It's a huge honour, and it’s a huge responsibility,” she said. “I’m so proud and we should all be so lucky that we love someone so much that we miss them this much.”

Dr O’Neill said her father Brian was a former NSW Industrial Relations Commissioner, a Labor member and part of the union movement and it was the very values he instilled in his daughter, which pushed her towards a dominant victory.

“My father was a real Labor man, in every part of who he was … I am the person I am because of the values he instilled in me,” Dr O’Neill said.