Mark Hodges was elected to State Parliament on 25 March 2023 as the Member for Castle Hill, an electorate centred in The Hills Shire in Northwest Sydney. Prior to being elected as a State Member of Parliament, Mark worked as a solicitor in his own practice.
Mark completed High School at Gosford High School and went on to join the NSW Police Force at 19 years old. He joined the Prosecuting Branch and was appointed a Police Prosecutor in 1985. Mark was promoted to the rank of Senior Sergeant whilst working as a police officer. In 1990 he completed a law degree and was offered a position with a legal firm in Sydney. Four years later in 1994 Mark commenced his own firm and he worked as a sole practitioner for 29 years.
Mark was elected as a Councillor to the Hills Shire Council in December 2021 and one month later he was elected by the Council to be the Deputy Mayor. The experience as a police officer, solicitor, councillor, and as the Deputy Mayor ultimately led to Mark’s decision to enter State Parliament.
Mark believes that Governments should not micromanage our lives and our businesses. He believes that those who take the risk of starting a business should not be unreasonably impeded by a government’s restrictive controls. Now more than ever Mark believes that we need to remember that we must help businesses to restart and continue the recovery process from the financial losses from the pandemic.
Working as both a lawyer and a police officer has given Mark a deep sense of justice, fairness, and equality. All people, regardless of their status,culture, religious beliefs, gender, or any other attribute, should be governed by laws that apply equally to all members of society.
Mark lives in West Pennant Hills with his wife, Raylee. They have two adult children, Matthew and Natalie. Natalie and her partner, Michael, have a young son, Charles. Mark and Raylee are both doting grandparents to Charles.