Jamie Chaffey, the newly elected Member for Parkes, has delivered his first speech to Federal Parliament today, pledging to serve the people of his electorate with the same dedication and resilience that shaped his own life.
“My role now is to serve the people of the Parkes electorate,” Mr Chaffey said. “When I’m not in parliament, I’ll be clocking up the miles traversing over 400,000 square kilometres… That is an area bigger than Great Britain. It’s bigger than Germany and bigger than Japan.”
Speaking with raw honesty, Mr Chaffey recounted a childhood marked by hardship. After his parents’ divorce, he was raised by a stepfather who showed courage and compassion in caring for a family in the face of his mother’s struggles with gambling addiction and mental illness.
“This is the type of service that has guided me as a husband, as a father and in leadership,” he said. “It is a philosophy that aligns with my Christian faith that through the grace of God… he has prepared me to serve.”
Leaving home in his teens to begin work as a supermarket trainee, Mr Chaffey met his wife Judy, a young nurse, and the two began a lifelong partnership in business and family. He later became an apprentice boilermaker in her family’s agricultural equipment manufacturing company, which the couple eventually took over.
“I’m very proud to say that our children have taken over the reins. It is now a very proud third-generation Australian-owned family business,” he said.
His first-hand experience of the consequences of government policy came early in their married life, when job losses in Gunnedah’s timber, mining and abattoir sectors devastated the local economy. The couple’s first home lost value for over a decade.
“We have unforgettable lived experience of the personal hardship that follows disastrous decision-making by government,” Mr Chaffey said. “I was determined to do whatever I could to prevent other people from suffering the setbacks that we did.”
That determination led him to the Gunnedah Shire Council, where he served as mayor for eight years and took on senior roles including chair of the NSW Country Mayors Association and a board member of Local Government NSW.
“These experiences have also made me aware of the minefield of challenges that come ahead, such as navigating different levels of government… I am committed to working very closely with all 20 councils and the Unincorporated Far West Area of the Parkes electorate,” he said.
Mr Chaffey outlined a strong vision for his vast electorate, which includes support for small business, investment in water security, improved infrastructure, and caution over the “sudden and unguided escalation” of renewable energy projects.
“The enormous scale of these installations will be a generational disaster—one that will cost our children and their children deeply,” he said.
He also stressed the need for tax reform, better services and stronger incentives to attract and retain young families in regional areas.
“Economic policymaking needs to reflect the holistic approach that makes it easier for people to get a foothold and to establish their family,” he said.
Mr Chaffey concluded his speech with heartfelt thanks to his wife of 32 years, their four children, growing number of grandchildren, and the team that supported him throughout the campaign.
“I want to use this role to encourage and support and to serve regional Australians,” he said. “I will serve them with the same dedication and commitment that was taught to me by my stepfather many years ago.”
Mr Chaffey enters the parliament on the front bench as the Assistant Shadow Minister for both Agriculture and Resources, and has been appointed Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Primary Industries and a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.
Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list.