4 6 . 7 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁primary ▁vote ▁against ▁John ▁Bar rett , ▁a ▁former ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁candidate ▁who ▁stood ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁after ▁the ▁Liber als , ▁then ▁led ▁by ▁Peter ▁Collins , ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁run ▁a ▁candidate . ▁However , ▁the ▁National s ▁lost ▁almost ▁six ▁percent ▁of ▁their ▁primary ▁vote ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁and ▁their ▁two - party ▁majority ▁fell ▁to ▁a ▁marg inal ▁four ▁percent . ▁At ▁his ▁election , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁NS W ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly . ▁ ▁He ▁stood ▁again ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁election , ▁increasing ▁his ▁primary ▁vote ▁to ▁ 5 6 . 0 5 % ▁and ▁his ▁two - party ▁vote ▁to ▁ 6 6 . 6 %, ▁enough ▁to ▁revert ▁Port ▁Mac qu arie ▁to ▁its ▁traditional ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁safe ▁National ▁seat . ▁Under ▁O pp osition ▁Le ader ▁Ker ry ▁Ch ik ar ov ski , ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁Sh adow ▁Minister ▁for ▁Sport ▁and ▁Rec re ation ▁and ▁the ▁Sh adow ▁Minister ▁for ▁Fish eries ▁and ▁Port s . ▁Following ▁a ▁Sh adow ▁Cab inet ▁res h uffle ▁on ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁O akes h ott ▁lost ▁Fish eries ▁and ▁Port s ▁and ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁shadow ▁port folio ▁of ▁G aming ▁and ▁Racing . ▁However , ▁he ▁had ▁become ▁increasing ly ▁diss atisf ied ▁with