Advocating for Forbes communities

We are fortunate to live in the best place in the world – make no mistake. From clean air and waterways, to friendly faces, to not having to sit in peak-hour traffic that eats into your family time – living in a regional area such as Forbes offers a lifestyle like no other. Although the Forbes Shire will no longer be in the Riverina electorate after the upcoming election, I remain committed to serving your interests until then. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have supported me since representing the Shire from 2016. Fighting for your fair share Labor Governments often forgets the regions with policies that continue to place undue pressure on those who choose to live in the regions. Under Labor’s poor economic plan, Australia continues on the trajectory of higher taxes and reckless spending, which is exacerbating cost-of-living pressures. The Coalition plans to get the nation back on track by fighting inflation and driving productivity growth. The over-zealous 2030 renewables target is putting stress on our energy network. Vast arrays of solar panels are being hastily approved on prime agricultural land much to the distress of multi-generational farming families living near these industrial eyesores. If we are serious about meeting our international obligations and maintaining our increasing energy needs, we need to have a national, rational discussion about nuclear energy. Labor is scrapping the Mobile Black Spot Program in 2026-27. The program has been pivotal in addressing regional mobile phone connectivity. I will continue to advocate for this program to be reinstated. The Nationals continue to fight to hold supermarkets accountable for anti-competitive behaviour by committing to deliver competition policy to support consumers and smaller businesses to ensure a more competitive sector, putting downward pressure on prices. Time to wind down after a busy year Whilst celebrating this special time of year, we pay tribute to and thank those who give their time to serve and support others, many of whom will be continuing to work through the Christmas period: our volunteers, health care workers, emergency service and Defence Force personnel, aged care, child care and disability workers, the farmers who have been harvesting to ensure we have food on our tables and those assisting the homeless and less fortunate. Please be safe on our roads and be patient and kind to those around you. If you plan on using our beautiful waterways, please remember to be sun smart and water wise. Remember to support local small businesses when buying Christmas gifts. Thank you to those who have offered support and kindness to my family, staff and me. Catherine, my family, staff and I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a healthy 2025. – Michael McCormack

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