Sherry eyes Canberra
MATT Sherry, a motor mechanic from Port Franklin, will contest the federal seat of McMillan in this year’s federal election as a candidate for Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party.
After running for local council on the Mornington Peninsula, Mr Sherry got a taste of the political scene and has since aspired to run for federal parliament.
Mr Sherry said Mr Palmer’s policies and his common sense attitude drew him to join the party.
“He wants to hand the parliament back to the people and is looking for candidates on the ground from a wide range of backgrounds,” he said.
Trying for a seat: Matt Sherry will contest the federal seat of McMillan in the upcoming election as a candidate for the Palmer United Party.
Mr Sherry would like to address two main issues in the McMillan electorate.
“The first is coal seam gas. We need to stop it in Australia in its current form as it is destroying our environment,” he said.
“Mr Palmer has already stated he is against CSG mining in its current form.”
Mr Sherry believed stricter guidelines were needed, and the rules and regulations surrounding the mining practice need to be strengthened.
“The other issue I see is agriculture. McMillan is made up a lot of primary producers and due to supermarket price wars our farmers are getting hammered at the wholesale level,” he said.
“The products we import in to Australia, we can produce here. My position is to give a fair go to farmers.
“Something we could seriously look at is restricting imports.”
Mr Sherry said primary producers need more than relief funding.
“We need to help them build better practices so they can become more competitive,” he said.
“In the cattle industry, the live export ban was a bit of a knee jerk reaction and put every cattle farmer in Australia in to the same basket.
“There was no need for it. Farmers who rely on selling their stock overseas were put two or three months behind. The banks don’t care so it was a big hit on primary producers who work hard.”
The Palmer United Party is the only party to field a candidate in all electorates in the House of Representatives, however until the election is officially called, those candidates will remain low key.
“Once the election is called, a lot more media campaigns and public meetings will be held,” Mr Sherry said.
“At the moment I am out talking to people and getting the gist of what the big issues are.”
Mr Sherry is spending two days a week on his campaign, however from the end of August will throw himself in full time.
“To be successful, you have got to get out there and see the people and the only way to do that is to put your life on hold and go and do it,” he said.
“I am absolutely looking forward to the challenge.”
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