King’s road to represent Mallee

United Australia Party candidate running for Mallee in the Federal Election said he believed the electorate’s residents needed better representation in Canberra.

Stuart King from Swan Hill said Nationals Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster had left regional western Victorians behind by kowtowing the government’s line.

“People want better representation and for someone to stand up for issues in Mallee, such as infrastructure and immigration,” he said.

Mr King said the immigration process for workers to get permanent residency needed changing and border closures had affected the international backpacking workforce.

“A lot of growers have been finding it difficult to get their workers permanent residency and a temporary visa is hard to obtain,” he said.

“The Federal Government has been extremely stringent with domestic border and international border closures.”

Mr King claimed there was a lack of people applying for jobs in the Mallee.

“There are job vacancies at all levels of experience and it’s hard to pinpoint which one has been hit the worst,” he said.

“Hospitality and farm labour have been hit hard in this electorate, as well as finding staff for councils.”

Mr King said the Federal Government had failed to allocate money to regional areas in the Mallee for assets such as hospitals or roads.

“There needs to be a better path of funding for local governments to manage and maintain their road networks here,” he said.

“They are not good at giving funding for roads because there isn’t enough money put into roads.

“There needs to be a better pathway for state funding for roads.”

Mr Stuart said both federal and state governments took a hands-off approach when it came to infrastructure.

“What I have seen from the federal and state governments is they are good at giving money away and standing in front of a ribbon, but that is about it,” he said.

“I am not a groomed politician. I’ve been a farmer, councillor and civil engineer and I have experience in a practical sense. I am just an ordinary bloke who is ready to have a go”

End bureaucracy

Mr Stuart, a former Swan Hill councillor, said he hoped to end bureaucracy in the Federal Government.

“I have experienced the levels of bureaucracy that is above us on a state and federal level,” he said.

“That is why I believe in a reduced government and restoration of freedoms because they have been under threat by state and federal governments.”

Mr Stuart said he believed Mallee residents should have greater freedoms, but government regulations were necessary.

“I am not a groomed politician. I’ve been a farmer, councillor and civil engineer and I have experience in a practical sense,” he said.

“I am just an ordinary bloke who is ready to have a go.”

Mr Stuart said he believed in reducing the number of public servants in the Federal Government.

“Government and elected representatives have relinquished their power and given it to non-elected bureaucrats,” he said.

Mr Stuart said reducing the public service would require a level of proportionality, however, politicians should have the responsibility of power.

“How do you become elected without any knowledge? Elected representatives know the people in their electorate and what they do in their lives,” he said.

“We see it way too often where a politician has been groomed and given a safe seat.

“We need real-life representatives that have run small businesses or worked as teachers and doctors.”

Mr Stuart said there had been a misrepresentation from mainstream media outlets about the United Australia Party being anti-vaccine.

“The reports of the party being anti-vax is nonsense – the party is anti-mandates,” he said.

Mr Stuart said his hopes for Mallee in the future were for a thriving community.