NEWLY-NOMINATED Labor candidate for the seat of Parkes Kate Stewart said it was time regional NSW let go of its love affair with the Nationals and looked for MPs who would give country electorates the attention they deserved.
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Ms Stewart, 36, was unveiled as the Labor Party's competition to sitting Nationals MP Mark Coulton for the seat. Ms Stewart was born at Wagga Wagga but grew up in the village of Ungarie, in the Bland Shire, and attended school in the Lachlan Shire. Later she lived in Wilcannia for five years, where she worked at a roadhouse, the school and the council but when she found herself without employment, she left to take up a job as an analyst at Treasury in Canberra.
She is still based in Canberra but said she would relish the opportunity to come back and live at Parkes.
Despite being an underdog against Mr Coulton, Ms Stewart said she was taking the role extremely seriously.
"I want to help Parkes have a voice in Canberra. My experience is that Parkes has been ignored and Dubbo has been ignored. There are a lot of different challenges across this electorate," she said.
"I worked in Treasury and I haven't seen any mention of the water problems that Broken Hill has been having. The Inland Rail and the condition of the Newell Highway are two big issues but they aren't being talked about in Canberra. The Nationals have got these electorates but they aren't doing anything for them."
Ms Stewart said she had not met Mr Coulton but felt the Nationals had him let down.
"I'm aware that he's a lovely guy and his family is the salt of the earth and I don't blame him for what has gone on but his party isn't listening to him or he's too nice," she said.
"I am loud and proud and I will listen to everybody's issues and take them to Canberra. I don't care if I have to say something 20 times, I will keep pushing."
Ms Stewart said it was critical people in regional areas got equal access to education and health as their city counterparts and said there was not enough evidence that was happening.
She said she did not find the size of the electorate, which covers two-thirds of NSW, to be daunting.