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The Yass Show last weekend was once again a wonderful event for our community. The weather was close to perfect, the rides were fun, the food was plentiful, the animals were magnificent and the people in attendance were seemingly very happy and well behaved.
Given this is a Federal Election year, the show also provided a great opportunity for the parties and candidates to get out amongst the voters they will have to face at the upcoming election. Labor, Liberal and Greens candidates for Eden Monaro were all present at the Yass Show over the weekend.
While I am always happy to give anyone my views on which party has the better policies and programs for the future of our nation – Labor by a country mile – when it comes to the qualities of the individual candidates, I always encourage people to find out for themselves. Google the candidate’s name, read their website, follow them on Facebook, email them with questions and – most importantly – take any opportunity to talk to them face-to-face.
In my view, it is the face-to-face conversations you have with candidates that allow you to judge the measure of the woman or the man who wants your vote. When you eyeball them, share your concerns with them, need them to listen to what you have to say, that is when you can really find out what kind of representative they would be.
So, here’s some thoughts about questions you could have in mind when you are checking out the candidates:
- What career did the candidate have before they were in politics?
- What volunteering has the candidate done in their life?
- Is the candidate more concerned with internal party matters or serving the community?
- Does the candidate really listen?
- How relaxed is the candidate talking to a range of people?
- Does the candidate have a sense of humour?
- Is the candidate a good advocate – does he or she have the ability to make a case and persuade?
There’s much more you could ask and I hope you do. As Yass Valley residents no longer voting in Hume but in Eden-Monaro, you are in the position of having no incumbent member. Each of the candidates is new to campaigning in the Yass Valley and the power is in your hands to decide who will be our new member.
I don’t know the other candidates, but I know and admire Mike Kelly and I am happy to tell anyone who will listen about the outstanding person I know and how proud I would be for Mike Kelly to be our representative in Parliament.
But don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself.