Name: David Paull

Political party: Independent (although will appear on ballot paper as a Green)

Age: 54

Where do you live? Near Coonabarabran

What do you do for a living? Environmental Consultant

How long have you lived in the electorate?

18 years, property for 14 years

What is the best part of living in the electorate?

Clean air, beautiful country and friendly people

Why are you running for the federal seat of Parkes?

To show the electorate that I have a positive vision for the future.

Namoi Unlimited recently released its list of priorities for the next Parkes MP, including the below. If elected, what will you do towards:

* water security?

Nationals at both the state and Commonwealth level have failed to deliver any policy on water that guarantees sustainable communities that rely on river and floodwater. Currently there has been little flow in the Darling for many years, Namoi, Barwon and many others have historic low flows, towns are now surviving on bottled water, river and floodplain ecosystems are dying back, most farmers enduring hardship and falling productivity. The Water Act and the Murray Darling Basin Authority and Plan need to be revised to ensure that:

1. Health of the river and town and smaller users is the bottom line, flows need to be maintained to ensure sustainable communities and diversity of land use,

2. To ensure one sector is not favoured over others because of big dollars, remove corruption

3. No cap on water buy backs, as every water holder has a right to sell,

4. Health and well being of indigenous communities given priority in basin management.

* supporting agribusiness to further drought-proof towns?

I aim to:

1. Deliver $100m a year of direct support for drought affected communities

2. Support farmers with grants to grow production and protect land and soil

3. Reverse the cuts to Landcare funding

4. Create a Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and develop a climate smart plan for our agricultural sector

5. Drive the domestic carbon farming and farm forestry industries

6. A national ban on all new unconventional gas projects

7. Conduct a thorough review of our agricultural chemicals and food safety

8. Ensure that our existing genetic regulatory regime is protected and updated

for new technologies

* continued funding and support for road upgrades such as Rangari Road?

Regional priorities should be set by state and regional authorities. Funding to roads by Commonwealth should be maintained.

* investment in young people and their careers?

Increase TAFE funding, increase levels of welfare payments by 50%, investment in careers in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, investment in universal childcare, increase funding for public schools.

In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues facing the electorate?

Water security, declining land quality, services for towns, welfare, gas and mining, renewable transition, sovereignty for Indigenous people.

What would you say are the most pressing issues facing the Gunnedah area specifically?

Health of Namoi River and groundwater aquifers and threat from mining proposals Vickery and Shenhua. Development of future industries in renewable and agricultural sectors.

What are your key election promises?

To act truthfully and honestly

What is your message to the voters?

The time is now for a change in the accountability of our political representatives. They are our servants. We have to take the agenda back to the citizen and not the multi-national companies. We have to take better care of our people, land and water because future generations deserve no less. This is what the I will be working for in the new parliament.

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