Name:Sam Romano
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Age: 60
Political party: Shooters Farmers and Fishers Party
Where do you live? Orange
What do you do for a living? Electrician and deputy mayor of Orange
How long have you lived in the Calare electorate? Since 2002
What is the best part of living in the Calare electorate? Wonderful people, wide open spaces, enormous potential, great for outdoor recreation activities
Why are you running for the seat of Calare? I feel this seat has been neglected for too long. Basic needs like long-term water security and decent roads and transport to and from Sydney have not been delivered. Our health and life expectancy are in decline. And our lazy local member simply doesn't care.
What is your political experience? As Deputy Mayor, I have a track record of getting things done. I've championed a number of road projects now being completed.
Click on the name to be taken to the profile. If the name is in black the candidate has not returned the profile.
- Shuyi Chen, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
- Jess Jennings, LABOR
- Beverly T Cameron, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY
- Andrew Gee, THE NATIONALS
- Stephen Bisgrove, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
- Stephanie Luke, THE GREENS
The crippling effects of the drought continue to be felt by the electorate's farmers. What kinds of measures would you fight to install to drought-proof the region? Is the creation of more dams part of the solution, and if so, where should they be located?
I absolutely support the building of more dams. Governments should start with the areas below Bathurst and Oberon, where there is a clear lack of water storage.
Applying for drought assistance is also unnecessarily complex. You need a master's degree, accountant and lawyer to help you fill out the forms. This should be simplified.
Do you support the proposal to relocate immigrants to regional centres as a means of relieving pressure on metropolitan infrastructure and increasing the population of and diversity in country towns and cities?
First, the government needs to relocate infrastructure, services and secure our long-term water supply. Resources are stretched for our existing population. I'm all for decentralisation but first we need the capacity to cater for a larger population. Federal and state governments have underinvested in this area for years, simply bringing in more people would not be a solution to our problems.
Many fruit growers in the region lament the lack of seasonal workers to pick their crops because of restrictions with the current visas system. If elected, what changes would you push to make to alleviate this concern?
Our first priority should be investing in the skill development of our local population. But I do agree that companies struggle to attract local workers. I believe there should be more flexibility under our visa system to hire workers for longer periods of time. The cracked down on 457 visa holders and restrictions on working holiday visa holders are city-centric and do not give proper weight to the seasonal patterns of work in the bush.
How should the federal government increase the export potential of Calare's primary producers and manufacturers?
I believe there should be restrictions on the import of cheap food from Asia. Paying 20 cents less for asparagus is not worth destroying our agricultural industry. We also need to improve our transport infrastructure to enable farmers to get their produce to ports much quicker.
Do you agree with the idea of decentralising government departments to regional areas, and, if so, which departments would you like to see be relocated to the Calare electorate?
Yes, I believe public servants should actually live near the public they serve. I think key departments like health, education and agriculture should have a much bigger contingent in the regions.
And not just service delivery arms. We need the managers and policy makers moved away from their inner-city cafes and out here to Orange, Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon.
However, as I said earlier, the government needs to invest more in infrastructure and services to ensure we can sustain new arrivals.
Will you push for federal funding to help fund a pipeline from Ben Chifley Dam to Bathurst to help conserve water?
Yes I support this pipeline I will lobby strongly for federal funding.
What is the best way to improve links between Sydney and the Central West? Do you support a Bells Line Express Way? Do you support upgrading the Great Western Highway including tunneling through the Blue Mountains? Should the federal government favour (and fund) one approach over the other? If so which approach should be the priority?
A Bells Line Expressway is an essential nation building project that needs to get done now.
The city-based economists and bureaucrats say it's not "economical" and it's not "cost effective". This is rubbish. Governments are happy to subsidise suburban trains in Sydney. But when it comes to the bush, they come up with excuses. An expressway would create enormous opportunities for our region.
I believe a tunnel through the Blue Mountains would be the best means of constructing the new thoroughfare.
The key problem is the federal and state government talk about this before every election, but forget about it as soon as the election is done and won.
The federal government absolutely should have a role in funding it. But they never will while Calare is a safe National Party seat.
Just watch how they change their tune after the election if the Nationals lose.
Neither Bill Shorten, Scott Morrison nor Michael McCormack have visited Calare in recent memory. Do the major parties and their leaders not care about Calare?
Our leaders seem unaware human life exists west of the blue mountains. That's why there's a growing gap in living standards between Calare and Sydney.
The problem is simple. Most rural seats are safe National Party seats. So, the government can afford to take us for granted. They don't need to spend money here. Because people vote them in regardless.
This will change if we vote them out.
Recently, we saw the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party win the NSW seat of Murray, taking it away from the National Party after 35 years.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison then visited Denilquin, in Murray, immediately afterwards. He was worried the Coalition would lose the federal seat too.
Earlier this year, Scott Morrison wouldn't have been able to find Deni on a map.
Everything changes when you vote the major parties out.
What infrastructure do you want to see built or fixed in the electorate over the next three years?
I want to see them making a start on the Bells Line Expressway. I want to see more dams and upgrades to hospitals in our smaller towns.
What is your stance on the future of coal mining for the region?
SFF support the exploration and development of coal and mineral resources where appropriate as a source of cheap energy. As rural and regional communities bear a large portion of the cost in providing the infrastructure, it is only fair they are compensated via royalties from the State. In this context, we will encourage the development of coal and mineral resources as a source of energy.
However, unlike the Nationals, we don't put big mining interests ahead of farmers. Mining exploration and extraction must never be allowed to permanently effect prime agricultural land or water systems - either surface or subterranean.
On Coal Seam Gas (CSG) exploration, we have called for an immediate moratorium on CSG projects in NSW and a permanent ban in our rivers until the NSW Government implement all 16 recommendations of the Chief Scientist and Engineer's report into the CSG activities in NSW.
Do you support renewable energy? If so how do you believe Calare is positioned to take advantage of the renewables market?
The current investment in renewable energy is heavily subsidised by domestic consumers. As a result, Australians are paying unsustainable domestic energy prices simply to support these experimental alternative power schemes.
We oppose the continual subsidisation of these alternative energy sources while there is an abundance of cheaper energy sources available.
We support a renewable energy market when proved to be commercially viable without the need for heavy subsidisation, such as in Tasmania.
What policy do you have to reduce power bills?
Energy bills have skyrocketed under this government. I know pensioners who can't afford to heat their home in winter. It's a national disgrace.
I believe the recent power bill increases were due to the need to invest in the network component because of previous underinvestment.
Governments need to ensure they are investing properly in the network component into the future.
Australia's vast reserves of gas, coal, uranium and oil shales should be fully utilised to ensure domestic energy self-sufficiency and to curtail price increases.
What policy do you have to deal with climate change?
We will not support any initiatives that disadvantage Australian businesses, employment or citizens for little or no benefit to our lives or economy. This is especially the case when the major emitters of pollution are not committed likewise.
What are your plans to improve mental health services for the Calare electorate?
Mental health services across Calare are totally insufficient. This can only be addressed by more federal funding. We need social workers employed in all smaller hospitals.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Inpatient unit in Orange hospital has just 20 beds to cater to hundreds of young people. This service should be greatly expanded.
We have a lazy local member who simply doesn't care about growing suicide rates and a mental health crisis in the bush.
Voting him out will send a message to the government that we will not take this anymore.
What do you think needs to be done to improve youth employment in the region?
At present, many small businesses and corner shops are shutting down due to taxes and regulation. They can't afford to hire young people. SFF have a policy to abolish commercial stamp duty and payroll taxes for regional businesses. This will stimulate growth in small towns, allowing businesses to thrive and to employ young people.
I also want to see the federal government invest more in TAFE and apprentice programs. The state government have gutted these sectors, so it's time for the feds to step up.
Click on the name to be taken to the profile. If the name is in black the candidate has not returned the profile.
- Shuyi Chen, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY
- Jess Jennings, LABOR
- Beverly T Cameron, UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY
- Andrew Gee, THE NATIONALS
- Stephen Bisgrove, LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
- Stephanie Luke, THE GREENS