Concern that other traditionally conservative political parties have “watered down their values” inspired Garry McMahon to stand for the seat of Orange on behalf of the Australian Conservatives.

“We believe that we’re offering a real alternative here and we believe that we are the true conservatives in Australian politics,” Mr McMahon said.

The Orange resident said the five key areas he would support are health and education, calling for more police resources, development of small business, working to keep energy, water and resource prices down.

He said he would also give young people more say by holding a forum for people aged between 18 and 30 to give feedback about issues that are important to them, and he would also have a forum involving year 11 students from high schools across the electorate.

Mr McMahon will be at Forbes Services Memorial Club in the Gallipoli Room from 4pm to 5.30pm on March 2. 

Although McMahon only presented himself as a candidate on Tuesday he said he had a chance when it came to defeating incumbent Orange MP and Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party member Phil Donato, Country Labor candidate Luke Sanger and Nationals candidate Kate Hazelton.

“Seven weeks is a short campaign but we believe we can do it,” he said.

Mr McMahon previously worked in business management, including as state manager for IEI Australia, which was since bought out by Mitsubishi, and imported electronic security systems.

He was also communications manager at AGL and subsidiary companies in Sydney, and was technical director of business lobby group Australian Telecommunications Users Group, which folded last year after 23 years.

“I was chairman of the board of a drug and alcohol facility in Sydney [Blacktown Alcohol and Other Drug Family Services] and I was involved in securing new funding for a brand new initiative called Bridges and that was very successful, I have also worked in support of families of people incarcerated and a lot of other things,” Mr McMahon said.

The Australian Conservatives party was launched by Senator Corey Bernardi in 2017.