LABOR has announced its candidate for Parkes. Jack Ayoub is returning for a second crack at the seat.
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The 26-year-old has been given the go-ahead by party officials, despite suffering a 5.01 per cent swing against him in 2019, and is confident of giving incumbent Nationals member, Mark Coulton, a run for his money.
The Coonabarabran local said he believes after 15 years under the same MP it's time for change, and he is aiming to convince voters that he has the energy and vigour to represent an electorate which covers close to 400,000 square kilometres.
"It's time for new leadership in the electorate of Parkes. People are telling me wherever I go that they feel as though they're left out, they feel as though they're not on the political map," he said.
"That is unfortunately what happens in a lot of circumstances when you get an MP who is utterly safe in terms of the votes, they then become a bit complacent, they get a bit lazy and I think we're victims of that."
Mr Ayoub said if he walks away from the election having made Parkes a marginal seat, then he will be happy. And while he is 'in it to win it', he said he has the mental fortitude to cop a loss and go again.
He said that toughness has come from his childhood, when he dealt with the trauma of losing his mum to breast cancer when he was 11, and shortly after had to care for his father who became disabled following an accident at work and then struggled with gambling problems, before passing shortly after Mr Ayoub's 18th birthday.
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Labor has not held power in Parkes since 2001, but Mr Ayoub is promoting himself as not a "typical candidate", instead he said his views are more conservative than what people would normally expect from the party.
He said communities which rely on mining, such as Gunnedah, must be protected as the nation moves towards renewable energy, and any transition has to happen with their future in mind.
"I believe we need to make a transition in terms of our energy and how we do it, I do believe that we need to protect fertile agricultural land because we can farm for the next 1000 years," he said.
"But where there is considerable economic benefit coming to people through their employment in mining, and if it is the case that as we transition to a new source of energy that we're going to lose such jobs, it would be my view and I would advocate for it that a government ensure there is specific support put in place.
"That there are specific training and reskilling initiatives made available to those people so they may continue in the workforce, because as everyone knows you get so much pride and purpose out of what you do every day.
"And if someone comes along and attacks that without supporting you, then of course you're going to get a bit worried about it."
He said national polling has made him confident of a Labor victory, and at a local level he has been buoyed by the 2019 NSW election result, which saw a formerly safe Nationals seat fall to the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, Roy Butler
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