Let's have a chat: Leslie Williams MP is the latest in our Editor's interview series with civic leaders

How does the responsibility of being a civic leader weigh on you?

Well, first of all, I love it. Absolutely love it. And I have from the moment I was appointed to this position [although] I did play some leadership roles within my community before. I think leaders come in all shapes and sizes but also in all different kinds of roles. As I say to students, the president of the CWA is a leader. The coach of the local footy team is a leader. Basically, anyone who's decided to step up and take on responsibility - managing a group of people for example, advocating for them, whatever it may be - you're all leaders.

What are the pros and cons of your position?

The pros are the absolutely extraordinary opportunities that you have. You get to meet the amazing people in your community. I was at the Marine Rescue Christmas party on Sunday (December 4) with my husband, and I feel like I was part of that family. What is really difficult though - and you try not to take personally - is that you do become a bit of a scapegoat for people who don't agree with you. People should not agree with you all the time, otherwise there's no point having a democracy, but it's the way people go about it. People can be quite brutal; they can attack you personally. The tough part is on your family because no one likes to see someone they love get criticised at such a personal level.

How does your family cope?

My children aren't here anymore, they live in a different state. So, thankfully, they don't have to see it. For my husband and I, we always take time to talk through it. Have a bit of downtime at the end of the day; sit on the veranda and just talk.

What are some of the worst things that have happened?

I think people that are that critical of you and want to attack you, never are prepared to do it face to face. Generally it would be through emails. I don't get a lot of them though. Basically they allude to you doing something deliberately wrong. Take when I left the National Party for example. It was a really difficult time personally; the way that I was being treated.

The Nationals have said they felt personally betrayed when you switched to the Liberals and that, effectively, you are "the enemy". How does that make you feel?

This is the ongoing retribution that I get. I will never apologise for standing up for what I believe was right for my community. [For the Nationals] to put a political agenda above something that is so important to my community - the protection of koalas and their habitat - did not sit well with me at all. And so I have absolutely never regretted it. I found it very difficult to stand beside a leader like John Barilaro, who clearly did not share the same values that I did.

In your time in office, what's been your greatest achievement?

The legislation for voluntary assisted dying. Our community was absolutely calling out for it. What made it even more significant was that more members of parliament co-sponsored that bill than ever in the history of our parliament. There's [also] the reproductive rights bill, legalising abortion in NSW [and] the protection of Aboriginal languages bill.

In terms of local infrastructure or grants, what would be your top achievements?

The Police and Community Youth Club (PCYC). That's been a long haul and complicated. That'll be amazing when it's finished. The upgrades to Hastings Secondary College. Never has there been that much money spent on school infrastructure in our area.

How do you think we are coping with the population explosion here? And what do you think we need to do?

I'll say there's always more to do. I continue to advocate for more funding for the hospital. For more funding for our schools; more funding for our roads. But we can't click our fingers and make it happen. The other thing is the floods. Transport for NSW are unfortunately having to go off and actually make roads usable, let alone make them better. We get a lot of people who talk about the potholes, but I think they do it in an understanding way. A logical person would say, 'hey, this is beyond anyone's control your control [or] council's control.

What do people come to you about?

People often come to their local MP because they have a personal issue that they can't find the answer to... or they find themselves in a personal situation where they need help. That is obviously a part of [my] role that we don't hear about. Just personal constituent issues; whether it's about housing, whether it's about automotive - anything, you name it.

And are you able to help?

Generally, we point them in the right direction. I think people don't expect the world; they expect people to listen, they expect people to go in to bat for them. But they also accept that you might not be able to solve [their problems].

How do you work with people beyond the photo opportunities?

Well, if I put up every photo of every event and meeting I went to you, I wouldn't be just sitting on my Facebook page all day putting up photos. I go to most things because people ask me to. I went to a retirement village the other day. They just wanted to meet me. I just went to the Nature School this morning to judge a project.

How do you draw on that to know what people are thinking?

It's not just those events. I walk down the street and people talk to me. People know that I am just one of them. And if they need to tell me about something, they'll tell me about it. Whether it's to stop me in the supermarket or while I'm waiting for my coffee, they feel very comfortable.

What do you say to people angry about the upgrade of Port Macquarie's southern breakwall?

I think there may be a very small minority that thinks it's Leslie against the rest of the world. I'm not an engineer. I'm pretty sure that a significant majority of other people out there aren't engineers. Reasonable people understand that I did not make the decision, whether they like it or not. That's why we have departments like Transport for NSW. I don't tell the Department of Education where to paint another school. That's not my role.

Beyond Leslie Williams, the politician, how do you spend your free time?

I've got two kids and two grandsons who live in Perth. FaceTime is a wonderful thing. And, I just love my garden. It's amazing. We have a rainforest in the backyard. It's just a beautiful environment. It's very peaceful. And cooking. I love cooking.