With the Federal election just four days, here’s a refresher on the candidates who will be contesting the seat of Calare in which citizens living on the north side of the Belubula river will be voting for.
The electorate has been rezoned since the 2007 election and is now slightly more than an eighth of the size it was for that election.
The Calare electorate now contains the town and districts of Bathurst, Orange, Lithgow, Forbes, Parkes, Molong, Yeovil, Blayney, Oberon, Eugowra, Peak Hill and Canowindra.
The current sitting member is the National Party’s John Cobb MP. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
JEREMY BUCKINGHAM (Greens)
Jeremy Buckingham has been an Orange City Councillor since becoming elected for the first time in 2004.
In doing so he became the first Green elected to a New South Wales Council west of the Great Dividing Range.
Cr Buckingham has worked as Stonemason in the central west and abroad and holds tertiary qualifications in Land Management and Ecological Agriculture.
Throughout his tenure on the Orange City Council Cr Buckingham has adhered to the Greens policy of advocating for a more secure water supply through the expansion of water recycling and storm water harvesting and will continue to do so.
Other policies include the provision of mental and dental health services, introduction of a price on carbon and investment for a just transition to renewable energy and a humanitarian approach to the issue of asylum seekers through an end to mandatory detention and offshore processing.
JOHN COBB (Nationals)
Sixty year old John Cobb MP has been the member of Calare since the 2007 Federal election following on from Independent member the late Peter Andren MP.
From 2001 – 2007 Cobb was the Federal member for Parkes until major rezoning of electoral boundaries for the 2007 election made him shift to contest for the seat of Calare.
Born at Bathurst, Cobb grew up on the family farm north west of Condobolin which he still operates today.
Prior to his entry into Federal politics, Cobb, was the President of the NSW Farmers Association from 1998-2001.
Cobb held various ministerial positions when the Coalition was in Government and shadow minister positions for the Opposition and is currently the shadow minister for Agriculture, Food and Security, Fisheries and Forestry.
John Cobb MP has a solid history in agri-politics, fighting for issues such as increasing the number of doctors in rural areas, better telecommunications services for country communities and property rights for landholders.
PAUL BLANCH (Independent)
Blanch is a 56 year old farmer and grazier at Georges Plains South of Bathurst who has a background in Law and Business.
He is a former member of the Liberal Party and contested the Federal seat of Calare as a Liberal candidate in 2004 coming second to Peter Andren MP.
Since then Blanch has resigned his membership from the Liberal party citing disagreements in factional politics as the reason.
Over the years Blanch has been a board member of various agricultural and business companies.
Mr Blanch sees improving infrastructure as a major issue for the voters of Calare.
He has a commitment to the development of the Bell’s Line Expressway and also has policies on a regional strategy for water security as well as funding for aged care, child care and mental health.
KEVIN DUFFY (Labor)
56 year old Kevin Duffey is the current mayor of the Cabonne Shire Council.
He contested the seat of Orange at the 2007 New South Wales state election which he subsequently lost to the Nationals Russell Turner.
Cr Duffy currently lives on his family’s property ‘Fairbank’ at Borenore.
Cr Duffy has said that in his election campaign he will be focusing on local issues.
If elected he will stand down as Cabonne Shire Mayor but would remain on Council.
Cr Duffy has been heavily active in public life having been Mayor of Cabonne Shire Council since 2008.
He has been a member of the Land Development Committee, Chairman Community Services Committee, Environmental Services Committee, Promotions and Tourism Committee, Works Committee, Noxious Weeds Committee and Quarry Reserve Committee.
Cr Duffy has also served as President or on the board of various sporting organizations including, Orange and District Cricket Association, Orange CYMS Cricket Club,CYMS Rugby League Club and the Manildra Rhinos RLFC.
JESSYKA NORSWORTHY (Christian Democratic Party)
Attempts to contact Miss Norsworthy directly have been unsuccessful.
What little information we have is that Miss Norsworthy is a single mother, who was “brought up in Christian family”, her mother Nolene Norsworthy said.
Nolene is also standing for the Christian Democratic Party in the seat of Macarthur.
KAREN ROMANO (Independent)
Karen Romano is a former long standing member of the National party along with her husband, Orange City Councillor, Sam Romano.
Both Karen and her husband resigned from the National Party in June due to their disagreement with the election of Andrew Gee as the National Party Candidate for the state seat of Orange.
Romano, who is a former registered nurse, believes there are advantages from not having to tie herself down to major parties policies.
“As an independent, I would never vote in favour of something that was detrimental to my electorate” she told the Central Western Daily.
“Independents go into battle for their electorates.”
Mrs Romano hasn’t decided which of the major parties she will direct her preferences to but has nominated infrastructure, health and education funding as her priorities for the Calare electorate.
MACGREGOR ROSS (Independent)
HE’S an old hand at jousting and mortal combat; now the founder of Lithgow’s famous Ironfest festival, Macgregor Ross, is to have a tilt at politics.
Mr Ross was a surprise last-minute nomination for the seat of Calare at the forthcoming federal election.
It is the first attempt by Mr Ross to secure political representation at any level.
Mr Ross is best known in Lithgow as the founder of Ironfest, an annual two-day festival highlighted by medieval jousting contests and colonial battle re-enactments.
Ironfest began as a sidewalk promotion for metalwork craftsmen more than 12 years ago and is now a multifaceted NSW Flagship Event attracting thousands of visitors to Lithgow Showground each April.
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