All five declared candidates for the state seat of Dubbo will front the Mudgee High School gymnasium at 6.30pm next Friday (February 1), when ‘AnyoneButNats’ host their Community Forum.
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While not aligned with any political party or candidates, AnyoneButNats invited all declared candidates running in the Dubbo electorate to kick off the 2019 NSW election in Mudgee three months ahead of the ballot on March 23. Candidates will be invited to present their policies and platforms in a Q&A format.
The moderator will be Rohan Boehm of Narrabri, who is not unfamiliar with the cut and thrust of state politics, having being an independent candidate in the 2015 state election in Barwon electorate.
He said his experience in state political campaigning certainly put a sharp focus on the need for better-developed and exhaustive engagement with the public on policy development. And that elections should not result in a candidate being elected to parliament on the back of random pork-barrel promises coupled with a complete absence of actual policy developed in consultation with all sections of the community.
“I want this to be a fair test of the candidates and a great opportunity for the community to be directly engaged in the discussions,” he said. “All country electorates throughout NSW have large sectors of the community calling for vital shifts in policy to meet their economic, community and environmental needs.
“Many in our community have major concerns that politicians are not listening and the Mudgee community Q&A will be the ideal opportunity to pose their questions to a line-up of all five candidates. The community wants to hear candidates demonstrate their capacity to listen and to be prepared to take on their concerns in actual policy and solid commitment.”
Many in our community have major concerns that politicians are not listening and the Mudgee community Q&A will be the ideal opportunity to pose their questions to a line-up of all five candidates.
- Rohan Boehm
‘AnyoneButNats’ has no affiliations with any registered political party and is registered with the NSW Electoral Commission as a Third Party Campaigner for the 2019 NSW state election.
The group will be joined by candidates; Dugald Saunders (Nationals); Mathew Dickerson (Independent); Stephen Lawrence (Country Labor); Rod Pryor (Greens); and Lara Quealy (Shooters Fishers and Farmers).
All vying for the seat currently held by the National Party’s Troy Grant, who is stepping aside at the election.
Mr Boehm said that Mudgee is the perfect place to kick off the campaign for the seat of Dubbo in 2019.
“It will be a great opportunity for the Mudgee and surrounding communities to have an input into the discussions on issues such as investment in education, health, clean air, clean water and clean energy,” Mr Boehm said.
“I think we can be sure those topics should form much of the discussions in Dubbo and across regional NSW leading up to the March 2019 poll.”