Five out of the ten House of Representatives candidates for Parkes attended an election forum in Dubbo on Sunday night. The event was held at the Dubbo RSL in front of a live audience, as well as being live-streamed on social media.
Stephen Pope (Shooters Fishers and Farmers), Sally Edwards (Libertarian), Jamie Chaffey (Nationals), Nathan Fell (Labor), and Trish Frail (Greens) attended the debate.
Mark Carter (One Nation), Petrus Van Der Steen (Trumpet of Patriots), Bob Wilson (Indigenous-Aboriginal Party), Maurice Davey (Family First) and Stuart Howe (Independent), did not attend.
Live stream video of the Parkes forum on Facebook
The forum gave candidates the opportunity to present a 3-minute opening speech, followed by answering two randomly drawn questions from the community and finishing with a 2-minute closing address.
The candidates were drawn in random order.
Trish Fail (Greens) spoke first, telling the audience that her inspiration to run for parliament came after her experience campaigning against the Council “building a nuclear waste dump on her land.”
A proud Ngemba woman, Ms Fail lives in Brewarrina and has served two terms as a local Councillor.
In answer to a question regarding improving education outcomes in the community, she said that more focus needed to be placed on teacher retention and greater encouragement for young people to pursue higher education beyond high school.
She also placed a strong emphasis on transparency and accountability in government.
“Transparency is a strong Greens policy, and I will hold that policy all the way down the line,” she said.
Sally Edwards (Libertarian) was drawn next. Having worked in agricultural and rural community development for over 18 years, she spoke at length about her desire to stop the decline in regional healthcare, education, and natural resources.
In response to the question, “Do you agree with UN or WEF sustainability goals?” Ms Edwards said, “No—I do not support any non-government or unelected organisations setting goals or plans for Australia’s future. It restricts growth and aids in the decline of regional communities.”
In a sentiment echoed by a number of the candidates, she also stated that Parkes has been considered a “safe National seat” for too long and is therefore not considered important enough to influence who forms government.
Ms Edwards also said, “A strong crossbench is crucial in levelling out an oversized and often mismanaged government.”
Stephen Pope (Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers) took to the stage next and spoke about his Indigenous heritage as a Gumbaynggir man, his extensive work in community organisations, and his work as a care worker.
“It’s my turn to step up and push for something,” he said.
In response to questions regarding a shortage of healthcare in regional areas and the need to push economic growth, his focus was largely on encouraging and promoting people relocating from metropolitan areas into regional ones.
“The bush is home – we need to get people here to build our towns to where they should be,” he said.
“Throwing shitloads of money at things won’t work – people don’t want money; they want results, and our communities need to work together.”
Jamie Chaffey (National Party) came next, emphasising his personal and professional history in the town of Gunnedah and his experience as the Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council for the last eight years.
He focused heavily on the region’s population drain, stating that 500 fewer voters are on the Parkes electoral roll, an electorate that now occupies 51% of NSW.
One of his biggest policy focuses to circumvent this is to ensure that the Inland Rail project goes ahead.
“This will allow more access for major regional projects and promote the return of large-scale processing and manufacturing,” he said.
“The Coalition has also announced the Regional Australia Fund – a $20 billion fund that will support regional communities regardless of who is in government.”
Nathan Fell (Labor) was the final speaker for the evening. A miner from Broken Hill, he said he got into politics because he felt elected members didn’t represent him.
“There were all a fair bit older, born into wealthier families or generational political families – they don’t represent the everyday worker.”
After responding to questions about investment in local infrastructure and promotion of regional development, he used his closing statement to focus on keeping Rex Airlines in the air.
“Rex is essential for our regions to get healthcare workers and professionals into our towns. Its loss will put Parkes at a disadvantage, and regardless of who wins, I’m going to work hard to keep it flying.”
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