Local Nationals members have overwhelmingly voted for Melinda Pavey to be the party’s candidate for Oxley at next year's State Election. This follows the decision by incumbent MP and former Leader of the Nationals, Andrew Stoner, not to recontest the seat.
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As a Member of the Legislative Council, a former Shadow Minister and current Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health, Ms Pavey said she is uniquely placed to follow in the footsteps of Mr Stoner.
“I am honoured to have been preselected to be the NSW Nationals’ candidate for Oxley for the State Election next March,” Ms Pavey said.
“Oxley is a beautifully diverse electorate. The needs of communities in the south such as Wauchope and Comboyne are very different to those in the north in places such as Kempsey and Macksville.
“Over the coming months I am looking forward to getting stuck into the election campaign and meeting with as many residents as I can, on their doorsteps, at markets, community events and at any available opportunity.
Ms Pavey told the Courier-Sun while the Nationals have represented Oxley which includes the Bellingen Shire electorate for a long time she wasn’t taking anything for granted.
“The thing about regional communities is that you need to earn their trust before you can represent them in parliament. That’s exactly what I have to do between now and March,” she said.
“It’s a matter of getting out and meeting people. I plan to engage, listen and act.”
Chairman of the NSW Nationals, Bede Burke, was in Macksville for the preselection vote on Saturday and said that if given the chance, Ms Pavey would make an outstanding advocate for residents in Oxley.
“Melinda has considerable experience as a member of parliament and as a parliamentary secretary with responsibility for regional health. This means she has the knowledge to get things done for communities in Oxley,” Mr Burke said.
"Melinda is also a long term Mid North Coast resident and intricately knows the challenges facing the region but also what makes it special."
“Just as with other electorates that have a retiring Nationals Member of Parliament, we as a party cannot rest on our laurels and assume that people will vote for us merely because they voted for the previous Nationals candidate.