It will encourage community participation – to write to your local paper and express an opinion, or highlight your experiences. This by-election is a unique opportunity; we cannot afford to waste it.

It is worth acknowledging the many positive aspects about this beautiful part of Australia.

We live in the exquisite Murray region of New South Wales, blessed with abundant sunshine, natural beauty, friendly communities and, relative to capital cities, housing affordability.

Despite this, I don’t think there are many constituents across the Farrer electorate who do not recognise that we need change in the manner in which we have been treated by the Federal Government.

But how will that be achieved?

How do we get better recognition from those in Canberra so we can continue enjoying our lifestyle, while also making a more significant contribution to the nation’s economy?

History tells us it will not happen if we continue down the path of recent decades.

In Farrer, we need a Member of Parliament who is focused on the electorate and its needs, without being distracted by party politics and policies.

There is no better example than the Basin Plan. This has been botched by both the Coalition and Labor, but they don’t have either the courage to admit it or the strength to fix it.

Additionally, they have allowed health services to become too centralised, with insufficient investment in many of our communities.

Cost of living continues to bite, with no end in sight, and now exacerbated by war in the Middle East.

Discussions around migration tend to be dominated by political rhetoric, instead of how we overcome employment shortages in sectors such as farming, hospitality and aged care.

We are at a fork in the road, where now matters in securing a resilient economic future. So what is holding us back?

We need that loud and passionate voice in Canberra to advocate for the issues that matter.

If we can find that voice in this by-election, future generations will be better placed to enjoy our slice of paradise.

- Contributed by Vicki Meyer

• Authorised by Vicki Meyer, ‘Werrina’, 14 McCallum Road, Warragoon NSW 2710.

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