The people of Farrer elected Sussan Ley nine times after she was first elected in 2001.
Despite senior roles and proximity to power, outcomes for Farrer were limited.
As a community, we have been frustrated by this - “We have a representative in a position of power, but we don’t see meaningful local results”.
With Susan Ley’s resignation, you may be thinking of lodging a protest vote at the by-election on May 9, because of your frustration and dissatisfaction with the Liberal and National parties.
If you are thinking of doing this, ask yourself, “Do the values of the party/person that you are thinking of voting for align with your own values?”.
One way of checking this is to do the Vote Compass questionnaire (https://www.abc.net.au/news/vote-compass/).
The other question to ask yourself is, “Am I voting for X because I’m angry about not being listened to for the last 25 years?”.
A protest vote won’t deliver the change we need.
While parties can channel dissatisfaction, they offer little in the way of local, community-driven solutions to complex regional challenges like water policy, healthcare access, and infrastructure.
Would it not be better to make your vote count on May 9 by voting for a person who lives in the region, who understands the issues you are facing, and who will stand up in Parliament to represent you, rather than a party. Someone who is independent.
Michelle Millthorpe was selected by ‘Voices for Farrer’ to run as an Independent candidate at the last federal election, and is standing again on May 9.
The ‘Voices for’ movement started in 2012 and is made up of community groups in electorates who are guided by democratic principles.
If you want to know more, Google ‘Wikipedia, Voices movement, Australia’ and check out the Wikipedia entry.
If you are serious about change, there is a more constructive path than lodging a protest vote.
We have seen with Helen Dalton, in our NSW seat of Murray, how independent representation can secure stronger advocacy, greater accountability, and investment aligned with community needs.
When we elect representatives who answer directly to us, rather than a party, politics becomes more responsive - and more effective (check out the article at https://suebarrett.substack.com/p/what-have-the-independents-ever-done).
Farrer stands at a crossroads.
Doubling down on the party that has long taken the seat for granted risks more of the same.
A protest vote risks achieving little at all. But a vote for a genuine community independent offers something different: a representative accountable first and foremost to the people of Farrer.
Yours etc.
Sam North
Deniliquin
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