Over the weekend I caught an interview with one of our small business owners in Barwon, she said words to the effect of ‘if we survived the worst drought on record, huge dust storms, and a mice plague what’s a little lockdown?’
I know we’ve been battered over the last few years, and we were just starting to come through it all – farming was back, people had a bit of money to spend in town, and our grass was getting greener – this COVID outbreak has come at a time when times were getting better.

The state government will build a new Wee Waa High School after the old site was laden with mould, the education minister announced on Thursday.

Hi Folks,

I hope this Round-Up finds you well. It’s been a very full two weeks, I have been in Walgett a couple of times, Bourke, Nyngan, Carinda, Warren and even managed a stop off for a good lunch at the Nevertire Hotel.

As I write this I am in Argent St Broken Hill, preparing for very full days at the Western Division Conference that has an agenda packed with Ministers and Shadow Ministers and Mayors and Councillors from across western NSW. It’s a great chance for Ministers and Shadow Ministers to understand what is happening in western Councils.

Hi Folks, 

A belated Happy Easter! I hope you all got some time with family or friends, and spent time doing things that brings you happiness and contentment. 

The floods in Sydney, Moree and the Coast have been devastating. There is no getting away from the property damage and economic cost of this incident. The good news for us is that rainfall in our own catchment and flows out of Queensland should see some of the best river flows in years. Well over 500GL should hit Menindee, it’s my priority that water is retained in Menindee to protect the lower Darling for as long as possible. I have asked the Minister to review the 480GL/640GL rule that transfers control of Menindee Lakes to the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) when storage is over 640GL. These discussions are ongoing. 

“There is no shortage of gas in Australia, there’s a shortage of common sense in Canberra when it comes to gas export policy and domestic gas reservation policy,” says Member for Barwon, Roy Butler. 

Mr Butler’s comments follow the new energy deal struck by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Member for Barwon, Roy Butler is calling on the NSW Government to take action and establish more residential rehabilitation centres in the west of the State.

Drug related crime figures, presentations to emergency departments, and Ambulance call outs for drug related incidents are all on the increase.

In the Far West, amphetamine use and possession has increased by 61 per cent between April 2017 and March 2019 – the highest increase in the State. 

Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party MP, Roy Butler is calling on the NSW Government to provide immediate rates relief funding to local government. 
 “Rates relief funding to local government would greatly assist in reducing the financial pressure on our rural and regional communities,” Mr Butler said.
Across western NSW towns and communities are struggling through drought and as a result families and businesses are experiencing extreme financial pressure. 

This week I had the honour of delivering my inaugural speech in Parliament. An opportunity to talk about my goals for the next four years.  To you the people I represent I restate my election commitments – to work hard and be honest.   
 
Across the electorate I have met many people who are incredibly passionate about the future of  their  community.  They  want  recognition  that  at  this  moment  in  the  history  of  NSW  the government is faced with a choice. They continue to treat the communities of western NSW in the same manner they have been or they change their focus and reinvigorate the bush.  

There were stark differences between the messages of the two main parties, and as it turns out, only one hit the right buttons

Contemptible. Stupid. Dipshits. Morons. Fools and worse.

While there were patches of dissent, rural seats largely stuck with the Coalition in last week’s election, and the torrent of abuse for country people on social media was predictable.

But after a week of rage and reflection, it’s more useful to pick apart why the Morrison government was returned with a slightly larger majority on the back of support in the regions.

A treaty with Australia’s Indigenous people and addressing climate change were two issues of unfinished business that Bob Hawke saw for Australia, according to one of his oldest friends and most important collaborators.

Bill Kelty, a former head of the Australian union movement who knew Mr Hawke for more than 50 years, told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald on Friday that he had seen Mr Hawke just a few weeks ago.

People are being told their rents will go up under a Labor government but that is a jumped-up scare campaign.

The lowest blow of this election campaign may have come from a firm of real estate agents that abused its position of trust to scare renters about Labor’s proposed negative gearing changes.

If you are one of those renters, relax. You have nothing to fear from the changes. You might even benefit from them. The only interests the real estate firm is protecting is its own.

There is an odd vibe about this election that is hard to read, particularly in the country where issues are hyperlocal and fiercely felt

By his own account, Ron Ismay has been a National party member for an awfully long time.

He is the mayor of Hindmarsh council in Andrew Broad’s old seat of Mallee and owns a hardware shop in his little town of Rainbow (population 600), 100km east of the South Australian border.

Farming is the mainstay in the town, though he is also pretty excited about the Eureka pub’s plans for a brewery.

Hi friends, I suppose most have heard that I have stood aside for the election following public disclosure of a post I made on a Port Arthur conspiracy site on FB, 8 months ago. The Greens found it difficult to refute in this stage of the election which I understand. I really do apologise to all of you who have helped me get this far.

It appears I was targeted by a journo from The Australian using a firm who does handle searches on social media etc, not sure who they are. I really don't think the tragedies of the past need rehashing like this in public view and it must grieve families and survivors of the tragedy to see it being discussed like some political football. I also apologise to those people who are affected in this way, very much.

If you judged it by the way Labor's been so quick to match the Coalition’s backdated doubling to $1000-a-year of its tax cut for middle income-earners (good idea) and now the Coalition’s plan to help first-home buyers (con job), you’d be justified in thinking that, despite all their furious arguing with each other, there’s little to choose from between the two sides. For once, however, such a conclusion would be dead wrong.

Not for many moons have voters faced such a clear-cut choice between Labor and Liberal.

Barnaby Joyce is refusing to rule out an attempt to regain the leadership of the National Party, as he tries to shake off the scandal in his personal life.

The former Deputy Prime Minister has spoken exclusively to NBN News, tipping a hung parliament, after voters go to the polls next weekend.

The Coalition's proposed federal integrity commission to investigate corruption in the public sector is "fraudulent" and designed to protect ministers, a retired judge says.

Stephen Charles, a member of a non-partisan group of former judges campaigning for an effective federal integrity commission, said he could name around 20 issues worthy of investigation, citing as examples the so-called Watergate affair, the government’s $423 million contract with the little-known company Paladin for security on Manus Island, the events leading up to the approval of the Adani mine and allegations about rorting in defence procurement.

The map that does not make sense (unless you are the owner of the red box ie Santos).

No business case has been released for this greenfield rerouting of the Inland Rail right through the Pilliga forest (no farms in there!) and the CWA have now joined NSW Farmers and Labor in the call for an inquiry.

"The conference voted to request the federal government hold an independent inquiry into the green field routes and funding for the inland rail project."

https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/6117549/what-we-are-lobbying-for-just-makes-sense-cwa-leader-says/

This is a list of all candidates for the House of Representives and the Senate to choose from when you make your vote count on 18 th May 2019  

There are 1,514 candidates in total (1,056 for the House of Representatives and 458 for the Senate