New Heathcote MP Maryanne Stuart says 'my hard work for you has only just begun' in inaugural speech

"My hard work for you has just begun...Apart from the beach and the bush, I have arrived, I have found my happy place," Ms Stuart said in her inaugural speech in State Parliament.

Ms Stuart spoke of her upbringing, motivation and goals, thanked supporters and also revealed a painful part of her personal life.

"I have had many personal challenges keeping pregnant, with two miscarriages and one stillborn," she said.

"I share this very personal and painful story to let other women know who I am and that I understand."

"Russell [her husband] and I cherish our two cherubs: Sarah, our creative, talented and very bright young woman, and Max, who is studying in the UK. Thank you, children. You are my inspiration."

Ms Stuart was the youngest of seven children, with six protective older brothers. Their father was a train driver and locomotive inspector, who became the employees' representative on the State Rail Authority Board.

Shift-working employees would "call him night or day, seven days a week. I heard his empathy for his colleagues, some of whom were particularly vulnerable. Dad advocated for, and supported them, until he eventually retired from the railways after more than 45 years of service."

Ms Stuart's mother was a secretary to the Director of Music at the ABC, but under public service rules at that time had to resign when she married. The law was changed in 1966.

"To our parents, faith, family and friends were so important," she said. "They were selfless, kind and loving people and they made many sacrifices for us."

Ms Stuart said her mother died in 2016, receiving "incredible" care from the local area health service and aged care nurses. Her father died four years later, but with no palliative care team flying squad available, "his experience was very different and extremely painful".

Ms Stuart said his family was able to advocate for him. "I often wonder about those who have no family or friends to advocate for them....I will advocate for us, as a civil society, to resource and support palliative care teams to provide dignity and respect to all at end of life."

Ms Stuart thanked all nurses for their commitment to their profession, acknowledged "the wonderful NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association" and specially mentioned "Judy, from the Sutherland Hospital ICU and Colette from the emergency department".

"I know how hard they had to fight for personal protective equipment and face shields during the COVID outbreak," she said.

"There have been many times over the past few years when it was too much for Colette - continually having annual leave denied and the sheer exhaustion of backing up every day to face the masses with COVID and knowing they were short staffed yet again. They faced excessive workloads daily, fatigue and high staff turnover.

"I am so proud to be part of a Labor government that will prioritise the welfare of frontline workers like nurses, teachers and our wonderful paramedics.

"Ms Stuart said she had been a union member since she was 14 and 9 months in her first job at Woolworths Engadine and had worked for many unions over the years.

"TAFE is another great passion of mine," she said. "I studied industrial relations at Gymea TAFE and began organising workers. I am a very proud beneficiary of TAFE. However, in those days TAFE was a vibrant hub for learning, not the ghost towns they have become today."

Ms Stuart said she would fight for the environment and nature to address the climate and biodiversity crisis.

She also pledged to continue her work for people with a disability.

Maryanne Stuart's full inaugural speech