As a proud farmer from Bute, I grew up immersed in the values that define our regional communities: hard work, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to supporting one another.
As your representative in Canberra, with Bonnie by my side, I am bringing the same values based approach to my work in the parliament, and will fight for the issues that matter to you.
Equity in access to services. Reduced cost of living.
Less bureaucracy. Investment in our regions.
For too long, regional, rural and remote Australians have been ill considered by city-centric policies; ‘band-aid’ policies that fail to address our challenges. It’s time to bring back the blunt, common sense approach that our communities are built on. The Albanese government has no respect for the taxpayer, or an understanding of a budget.
We have record taxing and record spending; at the same time, we have devastating inflation and the highest cost of living in our history. Labor is failing us at basic economics and destroying our country’s prosperity. We regional Australians will be forced to pick up the pieces yet again.
We deserve equal access and opportunities in healthcare, education, and growth. Our communities have been forced to accept incredibly low standards. Whether that is the lack of access to basic healthcare on the Eyre Peninsula, un-car-worthy roads on the Yorke Peninsula, the housing crisis all over, or the numerous broken promises made in Whyalla and Port Pirie.
I promise to work with the government, win or lose, to direct federal resources into Grey. Success will be measured by stopping the ‘brain drain’, ensuring the best opportunities for our children’s future are in regional South Australia.
When government gets too big, freedom is lost, as more and more people become dependent on handouts. Our debt is unsustainable. Regional Australians know the importance of responsible spending, the same responsibility we teach our children. We must hold all governments and their contractors accountable for overspending on ‘pet projects’, and reduce taxes. I will advocate sound economic practices such as the money multiplier, fight politically motivated spending, and demand costing transparency from the bureaucrats
Regional, rural and remote South Australians must have access to quality healthcare, childcare, and education. There is a severe GP shortage across our clinics and hospitals, while Grey has the worst access to childcare in Australia. This reality drives my commitment to improving essential services so we can get on with our lives.
Primary industries are the backbone of our economy. We provide the nation with minerals, food, fibre and energy, and we will for generations. As an economist and a 5th generation farmer, I know the importance of protecting these industries from inequitable taxes and unfair climate policy. Our livelihoods are under attack with taxes such as the farmer-paid biosecurity levy, and restrictions such as the ban on live sheep exports. Regional South Australia has so much potential: we must not trash it with red tape and unfair taxes
Before the current Labor government, the federal government funded 80% of South Australia’s regional road upgrades. Albanese has cut this to 50% and investment has stopped. Surrounding our farm at Bute, some roads are not ‘car worthy’, while billions are being spent on city tunnels, city bridges and city train stations.
