"I make no secret of the fact that I am unreservedly biased for the bush," he said.

The party is still riding on a high after winning three seats in the recent NSW election, and now represents 60 per cent of the state's land mass. Mr Cooke, a former police officer of 22 years, hopes the state result flows on to a federal level.

"I think the momentum is still there," he said.

"The feeling in the community hasn't changed. I've been travelling around speaking to people for months now, and they're fed up with the major parties.

"They're frustrated and looking for an alternative."

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While the SFF has had a representative in the NSW Upper House for more than two decades, the party has never had federal representation. However, Mr Cooke is hoping to change that this election.

"We've got the runs on the board," he said.

"You've got to remember that it was only two and a half years ago that we had our first member elected to the NSW Lower House."

In travelling around the state's far west, Mr Cooke said the ongoing drought still flavoured almost every area of concern.

"Obviously there are issues with water, but it goes further than that," he said.

"The drought has a rippling effect. There's been a lack of investment in to our smaller businesses, who have also been hit by these dry times.

"If one or two businesses shut down, and a family has to leave town, that could mean a couple of students leave the local school, which impacts its funding or even its viability."

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Mr Cooke said the government had to do more to support small businesses in regional Australia.

"We need to help them out, either through incentives or tax relief, so they can continue to operate and service our small towns," he said.

"Politicians are acting and behaving in a way that is far different to what it use to be.

"Lazy politicians have no place in our day and age. We need people willing to listen to their constituents."