In 1983, Hazzard joined the Liberal Party and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming regional president and a member of the state executive from 1985 to 1986. Hazzard was pre-selected as Liberal Party candidate for Wakehurst in April 1991, ahead of the sitting Liberal Party memberJohn Booth. He was elected to NSW Legislative Assembly in 1991 and sat in the backbench during the Greiner and Fahey governments. Hazzard played a role in the 'Metherell affair', involving the neighbouring Member for Davidson, Terry Metherell, who upon his resignation from the Liberal Party had expressed to Hazzard his interest in one of the Directorships at the new Environmental Protection Authority. Hazzard discussed this with Premier Greiner and the Minister for the Environment, Tim Moore, at Greiner's residence in February 1992. Greiner and Hazzard then discussed the matter with Metherell while in Parliament ten days later. The government subsequently created the job for Metherell, which he accepted, effectively engineering a vacancy in a seat that the Liberal Party would recover at a by-election. At the May 1992 by-election the Labor Party did not nominate a candidate, and a field of Independents and minor parties reduced the Liberal vote by 16 points, nevertheless won by Liberal candidate Andrew Humpherson.
NSW Opposition
After the Labor Party won the 1995 election, Hazzard was appointed to the Opposition frontbench and held various shadow portfolios. Under Opposition Leader Peter Collins, Hazzard was Shadow Minister for Corrective and Emergency Services, Environment, Aboriginal Affairs, and Sport and Recreation Under Kerry Chikarovski he was Shadow Minister for Housing, Corrective Services, Disability Services and Ageing, and Community Services. Under John Brogden he was Shadow Minister for Energy and Utilities, Science and Medical Research, Youth, and Community Services. Under Peter Debnam and Barry O'Farrell he was Shadow Minister for Education and was made Shadow Minister for Redfern Waterloo. He was also appointed Shadow Minister for Planning and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure. Between 2007 and 2011 Hazzard criticised the State Labor Government's move to take planning powers away from Local government and handing them to government-appointed planning panels and their attitudes towards development of heritage areas.
NSW Government
In April 2011 Hazzard was appointed Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW. He also served as Leader of the Legislative Assembly from April 2011 to April 2014. Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier, and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader, in April 2014 Hazzard was sworn in as the Attorney General and as the Minister for Justice; and lost the portfolio of Planning and Infrastructure. In April 2015, following the 2015 state election, Hazzard was sworn in as the Minister for Family and Community Services and the Minister for Social Housing in the second Baird ministry. Following the resignation of Baird as Premier, Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier. The Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed with Hazzard sworn in as the Minister for Health and the Minister for Medical Research with effect from 30 January 2017. Following the 2019 state election the two portfolios were merged as the Minister for Health and Medical Research.
Personal life
Hazzard has two adult sons.
Policies and beliefs
In August 2019, Brad Hazzard came out in support of removing abortion as a criminal offence via a bill he co-sponsored with 14 others of all different political parties and independents. The bill passed the parliament on 26 September 2019. Hazzard also supported proposals to ban the controversial practice of conversion therapy at a state and national level, however no bill has been introduced as yet.
