Incumbent New England MP Barnaby Joyce says he is ready to deliver for the region for another term as he looks to retain his seat in the upcoming Federal Election.
Barnaby has held the New England seat since 2013, overcoming many barriers and proving is is the people’s choice, time and time again.
He says, alongside his campaign team, he has been busy hitting the streets hearing what the people want and need and is pleased to make it happen.
“We never take anything for granted and we go on our record of delivery to the New England,” said Barnaby.
“Whether it’s roads, water infrastructure, or social infrastructure such as swimming pools to netball courts, or whether it’s fighting against other things as the scourge of intermittent power and how it’s destroying our beautiful New England environment and dividing communities and driving a wedge through farmland, we are listening.”
And word on the street is cost-of-living is the number one issue facing New Englanders, an issue Barnaby says he continues to advocate for.
“It’s just the dignity of being able to pay for groceries, being able to go to a shop and not have that fear of seeing card declined or being able to pay for the rent on the house, being able to make sure they can just pay for the power, and power prices- the nation’s so blessed with resources it is an absurdity and a disgrace.”
But that’s not all, as Barnaby highlights the issues across the electorate.
“In the north of our electorate you might have things like the conclusion of the sealing of the Legume to Woodenbong Road,” said Barnaby.
“Keeping water infrastructure in place so we can get more stable water into the region, for Muswellbrook it is trying to get obstetrics into the hospital and making sure we stand behind the jobs for people who work there.”
“Out west, it is questioning why the inland rail has stopped, because this is a catalyst for the economic growth of that area, and for the New England Highway, it’s making sure we can put in all the work of the money we’ve allocated for the upgrade of that.”
The list doesn’t stop there, with Barnaby backing up his promises of funding for the Muswellbrook bypass and an extra $9 million for the swimming pool to be part of the New England Centre of Sporting Excellence in Tamworth.
“And then you’ve got the small items such as barbecues or upgraded showgrounds that we’ve continued to fight for to make sure that we invest not only in the macroeconomic structure but also in the micro of the small regional towns,
“It is an incredible honour but it’s a lot of work, and it really pays a great dividend in service to others.”
Barnaby’s latest election commitments include $27.2 million in partnership funding to local council’s as well as $10 million aimed at improving infrastructure and livability in the region, but that’s not all in the pipeline, with the reduction of excise to reach everyone’s hip pocket.
“That’s vitally important on fuel because that actually gives money back to people’s pockets straight away in a real and deliberate form. You don’t have to wait for a tax return and of course reduction in excise doesn’t rely on the fact that you have to pay tax. A lot of pensioners as you know don’t pay tax, but they certainly pay for their fuel.”
Barnaby says he will continue to throw his support behind the decentralisation of government services, standing by the success of moving the APVMA to Armidale in 2019.
“This is an investment in the public service in our area,” he said.
“The Labor Party has talked about centralising certain public service jobs out of regional areas back into Sydney. This is completely oxymoronic in the growth of regional areas.”
“It is something that I’ve always stood behind because I believe it should be spread evenly around the nation and not just put it into one pot called Canberra or the state level to another pot called Sydney.”
Further afield, the nation is watching the latest news as President Donald Trump continues his tariffs moves, with Barnaby saying we need to make sure the fundamentals are underpinned in the New England.
“Whether it’s the beef industry, the sheep industry, the cotton industry, the grain industry, these are the fundamentals that drive the economy and then followed very closely by tourism to make sure we have a board-based New England economic base.” said Barnaby.
“That’s why I put money into such things as sale yards, and making sure the global gateway in Tamworth, the big economic precinct, that money went towards that.”
“So, it was upgrading the roads and the bridges- bridges in our areas that were once wood, have been replaced, so we can get bigger loads across those bridges and improve the income capacity of the farms and the economic strength of the towns.”
As you look to head to the polls next month, Barnaby has this question for you; do you believe your life is better off now than it was three years ago when Labor came into power?
“It’s an incredible honor to strive every day to bring the very best service and the very best outcomes to the people of New England,”
“I’m focused on what we need here in our state of New England, which also now includes the Upper Hunter.”
“I am ready to go and when I commit, I commit to a full term and that’s precisely what I’ll be doing.”
Voters head to the polls May 3rd.
Follow all the New England Times coverage of the federal election here or have your say on Engage
See more about the race in New England here
See more about the race in Parkes here