Milton Morris extended his condolences to Maitland MP Robyn Parker who lost the environment and heritage portfolios yesterday.
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Mr Morris, who was minister for transport for nearly 10 years, said politics could be cruel sometimes.
“It’s a great honour to be a minister and Robyn, I believe, was a first-class minister,” he said.
“We can salute Robyn for the work she has carried out.”
Mr Morris was inducted as a minister in 1965, nearly 10 years after he was elected to Maitland, and remembered it vividly.
“Someone said to me, ‘oh, you’ve got a booby prize’ [in being handed the transport portfolio]. I said, ‘on the contrary, I’m the luckiest member in the world’.”
Mr Morris congratulated Liberal deputy leader Gladys Berejiklian on her appointment to minister for Hunter.
“I have great respect for Gladys and have spent some time with the minister for transport,” he said. “She will be a good minister for the Hunter.”
Mr Morris declined to comment on the politics of premiers and cabinet appointments.
“I really don’t know what happened,” he said.
“It’s the decision of the Premier [Mike Baird] and maybe one other.”