SHOOTERS, Fishers and Farmers candidate Ben Smith is in pole position on the ballot paper for the forthcoming Northern Tablelands by-election, to be held on Saturday, June 22.
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Mr Smith is one of five candidates seeking to replace retiring MP Adam Marshall.
On Friday, June 7 electoral officer Peter Dooley drew the list of candidates in the order they will appear on ballot papers in the by-election.
Candidates, in order on the paper, are:
- Ben Smith (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers);
- Dorothy Robinson (Greens);
- Natasha Ledger (Independent);
- Duncan Fischer (Independent), and
- Brendan Moylan (Nationals).
Candidates are running on a range of issues, including New England's Renewable Energy zone, the rail trail and to promote transparency in politics.
Independent candidate Duncan Fischer came to Uralla in 2011 to run The Sweet Place lolly shop in Bridge Street.
He is running on a platform of health and a "return to commonsense government for our region".
"We also need more doctors and I propose a public-private partnership to retain a medical practice in Uralla," Mr Fischer said.
"Northern Tablelands has some great hospitals, we just don't have sufficient staff to operate them."
Mr Fischer said he also opposed the rail trail and another priority would be to maintain the railway corridor to the Queensland border.
Natasha Ledger, the other independent candidate in the by-election, is running on a platform of long-term drought mitigation, developing a local and regional waste strategy and addressing long-term sustainability challenges.
Brendan Moylan, who is standing for the Nationals, said if he were elected, he would "fight for every community large, small and remote across the electorate".
"While law and order, improving health services, cost of living pressures and maximising the benefits of the New England Renewable Energy Zone are top of mind, I'm also very keen to take up the smaller and community-specific matters," Mr Moylan said.
Dorothy Robinson is the Greens' candidate and has listed health, education, social services, affordable housing, and a fair share of the benefits from hosting the Renewable Energy Zone as being among her priorities leading into the poll.
"Voters have a choice about whether they want the status quo, or to send a powerful message that regional and rural NSW deserves a fair share of resources," Dr Robinson said.
"We deserve a hospital service based on needs to address the higher rate of chronic health conditions and shorter life expectancy in New England North West, compared to Sydney suburbs.
"We deserve appropriate allocation of federal assistance for road funding to councils, instead of the current situation where Armidale Regional Council receives less than half the rate per km of the Northern Beaches."
Mr Smith was unavailable for comment and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party did not return calls on Friday, June 7.
