I pay tribute to Charles Casuscelli, who recently tragically passed away.

Charles was born in Rome. By the age of seven, his family had migrated to Australia. He grew up in Blacktown.

His career in the private and public sectors was diverse. He served in the Australian Army as a captain at the headquarters of the Australian Defence Force. Charles served in this place as the Liberal member for Strathfield from 2011 to 2015. His advocacy was around transport, but he made important contributions through his committee work on the sentencing of child sexual assault offenders and investigations into human trafficking and exploitation.

Charles was appointed the CEO of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils [WSROC] in 2015, and I served with him as president from 2016 to 2019. We formed a wonderful partnership and friendship as we balanced each other's views. Charles was a strong and relentless advocate for WSROC and truly a champion for Western Sydney.

I give my profound condolences to his wife, Maria, and his daughters, Eleisha and Bianca. Vale, Charles Casuscelli. May he rest in peace.