All candidates in the Macedon district are likely to say that they will be promoting regional Victoria and, in particular, Macedon. All candidates are likely to say that they stand for better roads, enhanced services / facilities / infrastructure, for schools, hospitals, parks and so on. We all want that and I am no different in that regard. I’ll advocate for all those things.

But the issues in Victoria go far deeper than that.

Like many people, I am frustrated with the poor quality of governments. I cannot sit idly by and simply complain. Good people need to step in to remediate this situation. I have the drive and commitment to do this.

Voters tell me they want a candidate whose qualifications are different to those people who typically sit in Parliament – people such as former union officials, former local government councillors, lawyers or activists, often with their own agendas that don’t match what the community wants or even need.

Voters are angry with party politics across the country. They have lost trust in governments. Voters want practical action from representatives who are not driven by destructive ideologies and who have no conflicts of interest, which is why I’m standing as an independent.

Voters want a representative whose first and only allegiance is to their community, not to the party that nominated them, or to lobbyists or to their party’s donors. Only independent members of Parliament will work solely for their community and State, as they have no party watching over them.

So, after a long and successful career, I have decided to put my hand up to serve and give back to the community. I am overwhelmingly motivated to enhance the lives of everyone in the community and leave it in a better place for our children and future generations.

I will work tirelessly for what’s good for both the Macedon electorate and Victoria, as we are all Victorians and what happens anywhere in Victoria in regard to the spending of taxpayer money ultimately affects us all.