Former school teacher Deputy Premier Paul Toole draws many parallels between the schoolyard and NSW politics but above all what drives him is making a difference in people’s lives.

He joked Macquarie St could be like a playground at times, but the  “kids in Macquarie St are just bigger”.

“When I was a school teacher, I loved every moment of it,” he said.

“I could actually see the difference I was making in the kids I was teaching each and every day.

“And I want to do the same in politics. I want to make sure I can make a difference.”

See more highlights from Deb Knight below: