Last year anti-koala legislation was defeated by a one vote in the NSW Upper House. The crucial vote was Liberal MLC The Hon. Catherine Cusack, who crossed the floor to vote against her own government’s bill, and lost her position as a parliamentary secretary as a result. Catherine explains why she decided to cross the floor to save koalas, opens up about the personal repercussions of this act, and how she thinks politics needs to change to better serve the community and environment. The Hon. Catherine Cusack MLC Catherine Cusack was first elected to the NSW Legislative Council in 2003. She has served as Shadow Minister Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, and has served as a parliamentary secretary in recent Liberal Governments. Ms Cusack was removed as Parliamentary Secretary in November 2020 after she crossed the floor on the controversial Local Land Services Amendment Bill 2020. She received wide support for her strong stance, from across the globe and forced her own government back to the drawing board to better protect the habitat of Koalas.