POLICY POSITIONS:

• In the past couple of years Orange has received far less government funding than the Bathurst and Dubbo electorates. How do you propose to redress that imbalance and, if elected, what would you spend the money on? In parliament I would be seeking ethical distribution of funding across all electorates. I would lobby for the support of other parties and independents to keep the government honest. I would also be strongly promoting not only the needs of the electorate, but also the flow on benefits of extra inputs, to other adjoining electorates and the state as a whole.
  In terms of spending priorities, the Orange area, as half the voting electorate should be allocated a large percentage of overall funding. Priorities would therefore be determined in consultation with local councils throughout the electorate. Endorsement of the Orange life Sciences Precinct as a special activation zone would be a priority.
  

• The new XPTs are in the pipeline, but there have been no meaningful commitments on track upgrades to straighten the line between Orange and Bathurst. Meanwhile, the push to extend the Bathurst Bullet train to Orange and build servicing facilities for the train here is yet to yield results. If elected, what will you do about these much-needed service upgrades? I will endeavour to explore more thoroughly the issue of quicker and more efficient rail transport from Orange to Bathurst, and on to Sydney. Freight and passenger transport from the Central West to Sydney is a huge issue. Additionally the Bells Line of Road corridor upgrade, to increase freight and light traffic accessibility and speed to Sydney, is also very important for the whole electorate.
  

I’m against decriminalising recreational drug use. Even occasional users are complicit in the drug problem as they are part of the demand creating supply.

• The Northern Distributor Road is taking the lion's share of Orange's freight traffic now. If elected, will you fight to make the Northern Distributor Road a regional road to shore up its maintenance funding, and if not, what will you do to ensure Orange City Council receives help to maintain it? As the Northern Distributor Road could loosely be termed a bypass road for Orange, and as it is an alternative route for the Mitchell Highway which is state government-funded, I would advocate for its classification as a regional road. However until such time as this happened I would help council to access any state or federally funded grant options to help with this maintenance.
  

• If elected, what measures would you support to tackle to ice and illegal drug issues in Orange? Is the solution as simple as increasing the number of police in the city? I’m against decriminalising recreational drug use. Even occasional users are complicit in the drug problem as they are part of the demand creating supply. The solution has to be multi-faceted, including more police and clerical support, keeping police on the beat; mandatory drug rehabilitation for convicted offenders; accessible regional drug rehabilitation centres; and providing counselling and other services to individuals and families in crisis. Prevention can be aided by: promoting further education programs illustrating lives that are better without drugs; promoting education programs for parents about the dangers of addiction and how to recognise the signs of abuse, facilitating early intervention; further compulsory school programs giving honest and accurate information on the dangers of drug use with a focus on how to say no to drugs; supporting scripture and chaplains in schools to give children hope; and encouraging recreational activity like mountain bike riding development.
  

• Do you support the proposed Mount Canobolas mountain bike trail centre? If so, and if elected, how will you help Orange get the required funding to make the project a reality? Yes. Sport and leisure opportunities help in so many ways, promoting both physical and mental well-being. Sport also: helps to prevent obesity and builds fitness and motor skills; encourages socialisation, supporting mental health; promotes tourism, which injects money into the community; promotes leisure opportunities for both individuals and families; and promotes jobs. If elected I would advocate for funding at a political level, as well as exploring and encouraging private sector involvement.
  

• If elected, will you support replacing the palliative care 12-month trial with a full-time facility, and with more than the current four beds? Yes. This definitely appears to be meeting a need in the community and once evaluated will determine whether more beds are needed. If so I would definitely support the provision of extra beds, so that best-practice palliative care is able to be offered. The current number of beds only enables end-of-life care. Best practice care would enable both respite, and symptom control and pain management, in addition to the end-of-life care that the facility currently offers.
  

Poll conducted by polldaddy

• What are the major issues facing the villages and small communities in the Orange electorate, and if elected, what steps would you take to improve them? Unemployment and boredom in young people; maintenance of basic services – roads, rubbish tips, water; and diminishing small business viability and opportunities. I would therefore work with the locals to: develop and promote tourism to identify historical and cultural selling points; promote employment with business incentives for employers to employ local people; encourage community activities like bush dances and sports days; encourage community consultation for socialisation and think tanking; and focused infrastructure development in consultation with the vision and hopes of the communities.
  

• If elected, what measures would you introduce to decrease the up to six-week-long waiting lists for people seeking support for mental health issues in Orange? Timely treatment is essential to combat depression and suicidal ideation. Therefore I would advocate for more money to employ greater numbers of mental health workers. Mental health workers conducting home visits can help alleviate waiting times at hospitals, but this also needs to be adequately serviced with staff. We must gather regionally-specific information on causes of mental health issues and develop strategies to address specific causal agents. The promotion of social networking opportunities is also essential for both the person suffering from mental health issues as well as the people they live with. Consequently support groups are essential. Community education days to assist people develop strategies to cope with stress need to be offered more regularly.
  

We at the Christian Democratic Party affirm that human life begins at fertilisation, and should be given legal protection throughout all stages of pregnancy ... I cannot agree to the decriminilisation of abortion.

• The crippling effects of the drought continue to be felt in the Orange electorate. Assuming you are elected and the drought continues, what relief measures would you fight for in the first weeks and months of your term? As a farmer I’m operating at the coal face of this issue, and recognise the extreme pressure it’s placing on people financially and emotionally, in agriculture and associated businesses. ABARE’s analysis for NSW is that average farm cash income will decrease by 51 per cent for 2018-19. The severity of this drought requires potentially extreme life-saving measures, like: the availablility of grants, not just low-interest loans, helping farmers with immediate costs, and drought proofing infrastructure; continuing to waive appropriate taxes for the 2019-20 financial year; reduce payroll tax for affected agribusiness to keep people employed, and maintain services and viability; supporting water security strategies like raising Wyangala Dam's wall; supporting the wellbeing of rural people by encouraging socialisation of rural communities to combat depression and increase financial and mental health counselling services; providing continued financial support to charities assisting those affected by drought; and praying for rain.
  

• There is a possibility the next state Parliament will have a conscience vote on decriminalising abortion in NSW. Where do you stand on this issue? We at the Christian Democratic Party affirm that human life begins at fertilisation, and should be given legal protection throughout all stages of pregnancy. We affirm the sanctity of life from conception to death. Life given by God. We are the the voice for the unborn. Every life is unique, valuable, and our greatest asset. We oppose abortion in all circumstances except when a mother’s life is threatened. We must support women with unplanned pregnancies and help them find viable alternatives to abortion, either foster care or adoption services if they are unable to keep the baby. Changes our health profession focus from saving life to taking life. We need to be able to change our mindset of viewing unplanned babies as ‘unwanted’ and instead see the incredible blessing they can bring to our lives. I cannot agree to the decriminilisation of abortion.
  

• Orange has an enormous amount of early education-aged children. If elected, what would you do to help families tackle the growing cost of day care? Unfortunately I do not have sufficient information to be able to comment properly on this issue. If elected I would investigate, in consultation with parents and early childcare providers, the needs in this area, and advocate where necessary.
  

• If elected, would you be willing to speak and vote against your party's policies and platforms if if was clear that the majority of the Orange electorate's constituents held a contrary belief? It would depend on the issue. If it is an issue that compromises CDP’s foundational moral and ethical beliefs then I could not vote against party policy. However for other issues related to the electorate that needed further discussion and understanding, then I would be very willing to be involved in community consultation, and potential policy re-structure if needed.
  

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