MELINDA Pavey was selected by the Nationals at the weekend to represent the party in the seat of Oxley after Andrew Stoner resigns at the state election in March.
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The Coffs Harbour-based MLC has been a member of the NSW Legislative Council since 2002.
She has served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health since 2011.
Ms Pavey told The Macleay Argus she was going to finish the job Mr Stoner started.
“I’m going to ensure the Pacific Hwy through the electorate is finished along with the Kempsey District Hospital,” Ms Pavey said. “I want to assist the region's primary producees and small businesses to employ more people.
“There is also an enormous capacity to increase primary production and to encourage landholders that have retired to lease the land to young farmers who could then invest in stock and infrastructure rather than land."
Ms Pavey said she would fight to increase resources and police presence in Kempsey and the surrounding districts, but the community also needed to be responsible.
“There are people that need to be put away and the Kempsey community needs to put them away,” Ms Pavey said.
“There are people committing crimes and creating fear in the community and it is wrong for people not to feel safe in their own homes.
“We need to break the cycle and this starts with kids who are not parented properly. I believe we all have a responsibility to ensure every child is looked after and given a nourishing environment so they don’t turn to that type of life.
“People know who is doing the wrong thing and they have to let the authorities know so they can be taken out of the community and stop the reign of fear.”
In November, Ms Pavey told selectors if successful in getting preselection, she will be moving to the Oxley electorate.
Oxley is a considered a safe seat for The Nationals.
