Yesterday I underwent a three-hour surgery to remove my third melanoma and five lymph nodes.

 All indications are that the procedure was completely successful, and I will not require further treatment. I will be taking a few days to recuperate and look forward to getting back to work later next week.

 In the meantime, my three electorate offices remain open, and my exceptional staff will continue to provide their usual high level of service to the constituents of the Parkes electorate.

 I cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to follow the timeless adage of ‘Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide’ – it does not matter whether you are a young parent taking your child to the pool for a swimming lesson, a cocky who has been on the land for 30 years or an international tourist holidaying in Australia.

 Proper sun safety is the only way to prevent this from happening to you, and regular skin checks are the only way to catch skin cancer early.