PARKES Federal Member, Mark Coulton, has thrown his support behind Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey as the new Nationals candidate for the seat.
Mr Chaffey has been preselected as the Nationals candidate to contest the seat of Parkes at the next federal election.
In August, Mr Coulton, who is retiring, congratulated Mr Chaffey on his preselection and said he will be a fierce advocate for the Parkes electorate.
“I have worked closely with Jamie over the years both in his role as Mayor and his involvement with The Nationals and I know he has a deep passion for bettering our region,” Mr Coulton said.
“I’m excited the Party has chosen someone of such high calibre.
“Jamie has been a hardworking community leader; he understands the issues facing our communities and knows that regional Australia is the backbone of our economy.”
Mr Chaffey said he was honoured to be chosen as The Nationals candidate and looks forward to getting to know communities throughout the Parkes electorate over the coming months.
“We need to get cost of living back under control, improve access to healthcare and education in our regions and invest in affordable and reliable power,” Mr Chaffey said.
“I believe that to build a strong future for our next generation, we must develop industry within our communities to create opportunities for our young people to stay and raise their families here.”
Mr Chaffey has been the Mayor of Gunnedah since 2016 and has also served as Chair of the Country Mayors Association of NSW since 2022, Chair of the Namoi Unlimited Joint Organisation of Councils in 2018, and is on the board of the AUKUS forum of Nuclear Advisory Board.
A boilermaker by trade, he is a local businessman and prior to his involvement in local government, Mr Chaffey served as president of the Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
