Sally Edwards, the Libertarian Party’s candidate for the federal seat of Parkes, is no stranger to rural life or grassroots activism, but is a relative newcomer to politics.
A mother, farmer, and community advocate from the Warrumbungle region, Edwards has spent the past 15 years working in rural community development, and now she’s making a bid for federal parliament to restore what she calls the “lost voice” of regional Australia.
Edwards and her family run an agricultural earthmoving business and small farm, grounding her candidacy in the realities of country life. Her commitment and service to her local community was also recently recognised in being named Barwon Woman of the Year at this year’s NSW Women of the Year awards.
Her firsthand experience with regional challenges – particularly those surrounding the rapid rollout of renewable energy infrastructure – has propelled her into the political realm.
The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), located in her home region, has been a lightning rod for community tension – and her political activation.
“There were a lot of concerns about the rollout and the way it was being done, and the impacts to not only landowners, but the communities and the wider region,” she said.
“I participated in the process in trying to raise awareness and mitigate some of those impacts that were being forced on people.”
Her frustration isn’t just with the plans themselves, but with what she describes as “tick-box consultation.” Drawing on her community development background, she believes meaningful consultation should involve genuine collaboration from the beginning.
“To me, depending on the issue, the more important the issue, the more consultation you need to have. If it’s a significant issue… one submission to a project that’s going to impact 100,000 people is not good enough.”
That sentiment is central to her campaign: advocating for regional Australians to have a real say in decisions that affect them.
“The foundation for why I’m running is to protect rural and regional Australia,” she said.
“We’re at the mercy of government planning and not having a say in it.”
“When we were looking at politics and the way it works, we realised that our regions have lost their voice.”
Edwards, a lifelong Nationals voter, said she turned to the Libertarian Party after becoming disillusioned with the major parties.
“Because the transition [to renewables] has bipartisan support, our regions had no political avenue left to voice their concerns.”
The Libertarians, formerly called the Liberal Democrats, adheres to an almost pure liberal philosophy that the government should constrain their activities to those that are essential for personal freedom and free markets.
Libertarians want less taxes and more freedom. We believe you are the best person to make decisions for your own life, not politicians or bureaucrats. The government is not your parent. You should be free to live your life the way you choose and accept responsibility for the outcomes of your choices, as long as you’re not harming anyone else. But we also understand that the biggest enemy of your freedom is a government that is too big and takes too much.
Libertarian Party’s description of what they stand for on their NSW website.
The party does not currently have anyone in federal parliament, but has two state MPs – John Ruddick in NSW and David Limbrick in Victoria. It is headed by former Liberal MP Craig Kelly, who is their lead Senate candidate in NSW. Mr Kelly resigned from the Liberal Party after a number of controversies to sit on the cross bench, then joined Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, before switching to the Libertarians in December 2024 to have a tilt at the Senate.
Edwards says her decision to join the Libertarians was reinforced by her interactions with party figures like John Ruddick and former Parkes candidate Pete Roswell, who she described as supportive and attentive.
“Their values aligned with what I already believed through my work in rural community development,” she said.
Despite the challenges of campaigning across such a vast electorate, she’s determined to meet as many constituents as possible. As well as a great deal of travel, she is communicating her thoughts and views via videos on Facebook, a number of them recorded on horseback.
While energy policy is a key issue for Edwards, her broader platform includes protecting agriculture, rural communities, and decentralised decision-making. When asked about her chances, Edwards remains pragmatic.
“It’s anyone’s game… It’ll depend on how many people turn up at the ballot box with awareness of who they’re actually voting for. That’s our biggest challenge.”
“It’s not about me wanting someone’s vote. It’s about me offering to bring the future they want to see for their community and for regional Australia.”
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