Guyra grazier Ray Mulligan has announced his bid to enter NSW Parliament and fight against the death of small towns.
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Mr Mulligan, a long-time National Party member, will be running as an Upper House candidate for the rival Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) Party.
“The Nationals have totally lost the plot… they don’t want to do anything for the country,” Mr Mulligan said.
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“They keep taking away services from the bush”
“I want to fight to win them back,” he said.
Mr Mulligan, a former rodeo national title holder, has nominated forced council amalgamation, declining small-town services and wasteful Sydney spending as his three most important issues.
Robert Borsak, SFF Upper House MP, said his chamber is crying out for someone like Ray to give small towns a voice.
“If you look at our Upper House, it’s wall to wall Sydney dominated,”
“It’s no wonder all the funding goes to Sydney projects, while rural services get taken away”
“Ray would be a great fighter for regional NSW, with first-hard experience of drought, infrastructure neglect all the problems currently facing the bush.”
Mr Mulligan was born to a farming family in Guyra. He studied in Armidale before talking up a shearing job at his family property.
After moving to Queensland to run an irrigated lucerne hay farm business, the 67-year-old is now back in Guyra, where he owns a share in an earth moving business. He’s married with two adult children.
One factor drives his motivation to run more than anything else.
“Guyra and Armidale shires were forcibly merged,” Mr Mulligan said
“Already, it’s noticeable everything has been taken away from Guyra.”
Mr Mulligan said if elected, he will push for de-merger referendums in all regions where the NSW Government forced councils to merge.
“Our Nationals Party local member, Adam Marshall, originally said he would fight a merger to the death.
“But after they made him a Minister, he dropped his bundle and gave up.”
Mr Mulligan said SFF will likely hold the balance of power in the Upper House, so will be in a position to get things done.
“The Nationals have to answer to the Sydney Liberals. But SFF can work directly for the people. Right now, I fear for the future of Guyra and other small towns.
“The businesses are closing down and the young people all move to bigger cities,” he said.
