redrawn Cootamundra was too far away from her base. This briefly touched off a dispute between the Liberals and Nationals, as it would have breached a longstanding Coalition agreement not to run three-cornered contests. Ultimately, Hodgkinson dropped plans to challenge Goward and contested Cootamundra, which she won easily. Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier and Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner in 2014 and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by new Premier Mike Baird and new Deputy Premier and Minister for Racing Troy Grant, in addition to her existing responsibilities as Minister for Primary Industries, Hodgkinson was appointed Assistant Minister for Tourism and Major Events Hodgkinson was appointed NSW's first Parliamentary Secretary for Southern NSW in the second Baird ministry following the 2015 state election. Following the introduction by the Baird-Grant Government in October 2016 of legislation to ban greyhound racing in NSW, Hodgkinson, with fellow Nationals MPs for the seats of Barwon and Clarence, crossed the floor to vote against the ban. After months of intense public pressure from regional communities, Premier Baird introduced new legislation overturning the greyhound racing ban that he and Grant had introduced, and then retired from State Parliament. Hodgkinson graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2015, and as a Master of Business Administration through the Australian Institute of Business in 2017. On 31 July 2017, she announced her intention to retire from the NSW Parliament effective 1 September 2017, resulting in a by-election for the seat of Cootamundra. Hodgkinson was elected Federal Vice President of the National Party of Australia in August 2018. At the 2019 federal election, she made an unsuccessful tilt at federal politics as the National Party candidate for the seat of Gilmore. References |- 1966 births Living people Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales People from Yass 21st-century Australian politicians Women members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Fellows of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Australian Institute of Business alumni 21st-century Australian women politicians