We all know someone who's struggled to get into a GP or had to travel hours for specialist treatment.  The latest Cleanbill report found no fully bulk-billing medical centres in the Lyne region, creating a “bulk-billing desert” for local patients​.

We can’t keep talking about it, we need to fix it. 

I’ll work with local health professionals to advocate for:

Increased access to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics: Building more clinics will help us employ salaried GPs, nurses, and allied health staff to guarantee bulk-billed consultations over extended opening hours to take pressure off the local hospital emergency department.

Incentives for local Doctors and Nurses: Providing additional federal incentives will attract and retain healthcare professionals in Lyne. This could look like HECS debt forgiveness for young doctors who serve at least 5 years in rural areas, lower interest rates for essential health and aged care workers relocating to rural areas, and increases to the Workforce Incentive Program payment maximums. We should also make sure GPs are given the same minimum salary and leave entitlements as they would get working in a hospital.

Medicare for All: Years of indexation freezes have meant our local doctors have been forced to charge gap payments just to keep their doors open. I support the government’s recent announcements that would revitalise bulk billing, especially in regional areas.

I’ll also advocate for better funding for dental services. Too many locals are struggling with poor teeth which affects their health, keeps them in pain, undermines their confidence and makes life uncomfortable. No one should have to suffer because they can’t afford a dentist.

The cost of living crisis is hitting Australians hard – nowhere more so than at the checkout. Families in our community are paying more for the same groceries they’ve always bought, forcing many to make tough decisions about what gets left out of the trolley.

It’s not just supply chain costs — it’s a lack of competition. Coles and Woolworths control more than 70% of supermarket sales—one of the highest market concentrations in the world.

• They squeeze farmers and suppliers into unfair contracts.
• They control where new stores open, keeping competitors out.
• They manipulate discounts and labelling, making it hard for customers to tell if they’re getting a better deal.

I’ll work to change this by advocating to:

Prevent anti-competitive behaviour by the big supermarkets: Stop anti-competitive land banking, where supermarkets buy up property to block competitors from entering the market. Incentivise independent supermarkets by offering grants and incentives for smaller grocery retailers to set up.

Impose real penalties for price gouging: Increase ACCC funding to proactively investigate and prosecute misleading pricing and price gouging. Legislate higher penalties for repeat offenders to discourage unethical pricing strategies.

Expand pricing transparency by requiring supermarkets to publish what proportion of the sale price of a product (e.g., bread, milk, fresh produce) actually goes to the farmer—just like superannuation funds disclose fees and returns.

We’re bearing the brunt of successive government's failure on housing affordability - with more people leaving cities to escape the urban housing market, and driving up prices and rents in our regions.

Locals are being pushed out of the neighbourhoods they grew up in, and we’re finding it harder to close skills shortages in essential services like health and aged care.

I support:

Unlocking investment in Regional Housing by support Independent MP Helen Haines proposal for an additional $2 billion to be spent on new housing supply in regional communities. With competitive grants that are open to local councils, developers and social and community housing providers - we can address the shortfall of diverse housing needs to bring down prices. 

Free TAFE and apprentice wage subsidies for apprenticeships in construction and essential trades so we have the construction workforce to house our population.

Building Essential Worker Programs: We need to extend the government's shared equity scheme, with higher caps on income, and lower interest rates for workers that address identifiable skills shortages in regional areas - such as healthcare, aged care, and key trades. This will create additional incentives for skilled workers to stay in our regions, or move to our regions to ensure full coverage of essential services.

Investments in infrastructure, transport and utilities in new housing precincts to unlock private sector investment in new housing.

Lyne’s communities are on the front line of climate disasters. 

We’ve endured floods and bushfires that devastated homes, farms and businesses. 

In 2021 we had record flooding on the Manning River, swamping towns like Taree​. Just a year earlier, the Black Summer bushfires tore through the Mid North Coast.

I will advocate to:

Redirect fossil fuel subsidies for mining: The Federal government is budgeted to spend $54 billion on fossil fuel subsidies - which is 14x more than the Disaster Ready Fund, and 5.4x the Housing Australia Future Fund. This money goes straight into the pockets of shareholders and the foreign investors that own 86% of our big mining companies. We can protect farmers, fisheries and small regional transport operators who rely on diesel, while ending billions in handouts to offshore mining magnates who don’t need them.

Increase funding for regional jobs, renewables, and climate adaptation: The latest Climate Council report shows that 10% of all homes in Lyne will become uninsurable due to the ongoing risks of climate change. We need to spend money supporting communities who are already dealing with the damage of climate change, including by investing in jobs and training to support workers into secure and well paid industries. 

We need to support environmental and clean energy projects that benefit locals and make sure we get our fair share of the jobs and opportunities from this new economy.

Regional communities like Lyne are missing out on their fair share of federal investment.

Local councils are struggling to fund infrastructure projects, maintain roads, and provide basic services due to a lack of federal support.

And despite all the advances in technology, we’re still dealing with poor mobile coverage and internet speeds.

I will advocate to:

Restore Federal funding for local councils to 1% of revenue: This would inject an additional $18m into our region, ensuring that councils from Port Macquarie to Port Stephens can keep our roads safe, and can support local business grants and programs that keep jobs in our region.

Build more mobile black spot base stations: Lyne has received funding for only 12 black spot base stations - compared with 34 in New England, and 21 in Page. Independents have a track record of winning more grants than the major parties because they focus on local issues - Helen Haines managed to secure 51 additional base stations for her seat of Indi.

Lyne is home to a growing aging population, and many residents are supporting aging parents while navigating a complex and underfunded aged care system.

While the new Aged Care Act will take effect in July this year - there are serious concerns remaining around workforce shortages, home care waitlists, and a lack of accountability for providers when poor conditions go unaddressed.

I support:

Stronger Oversight and Accountability: Ensure real enforcement of the new Aged Care Act, with higher penalties for non-compliance and mandatory reporting on staffing levels and care quality. Expand the role of independent inspectors to conduct regular, unannounced audits of aged care facilities and home care providers.

More Funding for Home Care Packages: so seniors who wish to stay in their own homes can do so with adequate support. This will reduce home care waitlists, ensuring faster access to services like in-home nursing, meal assistance, and mobility support.

Workforce and Training Incentives: Boost funding for aged care worker training, ensuring better wages and conditions to attract more staff into the sector. Introduce HECS debt relief for nurses and carers who commit to working in regional aged care facilities for five years.

It’s time to stop talking about jobs and actually create them. That means immediately fighting for our share of government investment, backing our local businesses with practical support, and making sure government programs like Made in Australia deliver real opportunities here, not just in the cities.

My policies support:

Attracting and retaining our important health and aged care workers by improving pay, conditions, and training incentives.

More investment in regional development, unlocking private sector investment in new housing and in renewables so we create more local jobs

build essential worker programs

Free TAFE and apprentice wage subsidies.

Every day I talk to local business owners struggling to find skilled workers, while young people leave our region because they can't get the training they need here.

As someone who's run local businesses and created jobs:

I know we can fix this with funding for local training programs and regional university hubs, support for businesses to take on apprentices, and practical partnerships between our schools and local employers.

My policies are about creating opportunities right here, giving choices to young people and build a future where our kids can get the skills and education they need without leaving home.

The major parties are in the pockets of corporations - with millions in dark donations from big energy companies, big supermarkets and big banks.

As an independent, I’ll fight to “keep the bastards honest” with stronger corruption safeguards, whistleblower protections and donation transparency.

I’ll do this by:

Strengthening the National Anti Corruption Commission: With public hearings on serious cases, expanded powers to investigate across the federal public service and strong whistleblower protections for those who come forward to report wrongdoing.

Shining a light on corporate influence: By making ministers' diaries public as is done in NSW and QLD, and requiring all political contributions by corporations and all cash-for-access payments to be disclosed, regardless of size. Donations should be disclosed in real-time, including weekly during campaigns.  

Politicians should serve people, not parties or corporations. I’m running as a regional Independent—just like Helen Haines did in Indi in regional Victoria. That means I was chosen by a diverse group of people from across the Lyne electorate, following broad community consultation. So far, two-thirds of our campaign funding has come from local supporters and others who believe in the power of a strong, Independent voice. The remaining one-third has come from Climate 200, a crowdfunding organisation that backs community Independents. Every dollar has been given freely—with no strings attached. We’re proud to be transparent about where our funding comes from, and we encourage all candidates to do the same.

I won’t be doing any preference deals with anybody.  

When you vote, how you allocate your preferences is up to you.  As your Independent voice, my only loyalty is to our community. I'll work with anyone who helps our region and stand up to anyone who doesn't.

I support a practical, evidence-based energy transition—one that delivers low-cost, low-risk, low-emissions power for our future.

Lyne is an incredible place to live—and to visit. From its stunning coastal landscapes to its beautiful inland towns, our region is truly special. That’s why protecting our environment while creating opportunities for employment and appropriate development is so important to me.

This means securing funding for practical environmental projects, supporting sustainable industries, backing renewable energy initiatives, and ensuring our natural assets are properly managed and protected. This will be one of my key priorities in the years ahead.

At the same time, I want to be clear: I’ll be guided by the science. The decisions we make must be based on solid evidence and well-argued positions. Right now, with so many households under cost-of-living pressure, we need the most affordable, reliable, and clean energy we can get—and that’s renewables, not nuclear.

There are several key issues with nuclear energy:

• It’s not a short-term solution. Nuclear plants take decades to build. We can’t wait 20+ years while continuing to rely on coal and gas.
• It’s the most expensive form of electricity. Large-scale renewables like wind and solar are far cheaper to build and maintain.
• Modular nuclear reactors—often proposed as a “smaller” solution—still cost up to four times more than solar farms.
• It’s resource-intensive. Nuclear plants consume enormous amounts of water—roughly the same per second as four households use in a year. That’s a major concern in one of the driest continents on Earth.
• It’s high risk. The disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima are sobering reminders of what can go wrong.

Renewable energy is already proven, safe, fast to deploy, and getting cheaper by the year. Investing in clean, modern energy is better for the environment, better for the economy, and better for people’s power bills.

I support Australia’s strong and constructive role in international affairs. Every human being has the right to food, shelter, safety, and the protection of their fundamental human rights. Like many Australians, I have been deeply distressed by the ongoing suffering in Gaza and the slow return of the Israeli hostages.

International law applies in this context and must be respected. Hamas is a terrorist organisation; however, the people of Palestine are not. Israel suffered a terrorist attack on October 7 and, under international law, had the right to respond. But any response must also be proportional and targeted.

What is currently happening in Gaza is neither proportional nor targeted. International aid workers are being killed in unprecedented numbers, and the scale of civilian deaths is unjustifiable.

I will support the efforts of Australia’s representatives at the United Nations to advocate for peace and justice—including backing resolutions that call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. I also support Australia’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution—one that upholds the rights, security, and sovereignty of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Wherever acts of injustice occur, such as the October 7 terrorist attacks or the current civilian deaths in Gaza, I will advocate for Australia to take a principled stand, including supporting international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. A just and peaceful world is not only possible—it must be the guiding goal of our foreign policy.

I fully support renewables but I cannot support the proposed wind farm at Port Stephens. There are too many unanswered questions around the impact on endangered birds (the Gould Petrel) and the failure to bring the community onside who consider the community consultation process has been deeply flawed.

The recently-granted feasibility licence lasts up to seven years, during which environmental impacts will be thoroughly assessed. They now have 7 years  to address the communities concerns. I’ll be with the community holding them to account through that process.