About Sally Edwards
Sally Edwards has spent her lifetime living and volunteering across rural and remote Australia. For the past 18 years Sally, her husband and family have farmed in the Warrumbungle region, they love life on the land and being a part of a rural community. Sally is a passionate advocate for Rural Australia – its people, its land and water, and to helping these communities survive, and hopefully thrive.
Sally’s background includes experience across tourism and hospitality, roles across the beef supply chain, small business owner, and over a decade of experience in Rural Community Development. She sees all Australians disadvantaged by government red-tape and serious ineptitude. She has witnessed the negative effects of industry and service closures, and an ever-increasing regulatory burden.
Sally believes the Australian people are not being listened to, respected or truly represented, and that the answers to many challenges can be solved from the ground up by the very people directly impacted - the communities themselves. She is adamant that the government needs to interfere less, spend less, do a better job and return responsibility and freedom to the people.
To the People of Parkes
For the past 18 years my family and I have farmed and run small businesses in the Warrumbungle region. My husband and I both grew up on the land in the small rural community of Gloucester. Growing up, my father was a builder, and my mum worked in administration and finance. They were both avid and tireless community volunteers. The highlight of my childhood was exploring the hills on horseback with my closest friends, friends I still cherish today.
Together, over the last 27 years, Grahame and I have travelled, worked and volunteered across rural and remote Australia. The most memorable locations we have called home include Tennant Creek in the NT, and in NSW - Dungowan, Nundle, Quirindi, Coolah and now, Tambar Springs. We have experienced work in many different industries – cotton, beef, tourism and hospitality, soil conservation, farmed trout, earthmoving, retail and most recently for me, over a decade in rural community development. Through these experiences and my upbringing, I have a genuine love and care for rural Australia, all its people and stories, the regional centres and small communities, the landscapes, and the very essence of what it means to be a rural Australian.
While working for local community groups and alongside local government, I have seen many Australians and rural communities disadvantaged by centralisation, government red-tape and serious government ineptitude. I have seen first-hand the negative effects of industry and service closures, and an ever-increasing regulatory burden (restrictive rules) on both industries and individuals. Is there any area of our life beyond government reach?
My concern originated when entire industries were closed or heavily regulated with little regard for the consequences of those who lost farms or jobs, and the cost to those families. Then when small towns started losing their banks, and essential services started closing and being centralised to regional centres my concerns grew. It seemed rural communities spent more time voluntarily fighting their own councils and governments just to stay in existence, let alone working together to overcome challenges and toward a better future.
I had never felt truly politically aligned or motivated – let’s be honest, being called a politician these days is not often an accolade! There were policies from many parties which I supported and many that I didn’t, I was a square peg in a round hole. It is my values that drew me to join the Libertarian party – a value-based party. Small government and less interference. Less taxes, which in turn demands less government spending and more efficient and honest use of taxpayer money. Who wants to see our taxes wasted on more government logo and name changes, and exorbitant consultancy fees? Values that ground policy to be mindful of and strengthen community first. Your home, your street, your community – first. Returning responsibility, freedom and ultimately power back to the people. Power should not belong with unelected bureaucrats nor with elected officials. In the past, do you feel you have been promised one thing and yet their chamber vote didn’t stand up to the promise? Has the party come before you, and before your family, neighbour and community?
I am a proud and passionate advocate for Rural Australia – its people, its land and water, and helping these communities survive, and hopefully thrive. I firmly believe that the Australian people are not being listened to, respected or truly represented, and that the answers to many challenges can be solved from the ground up by the very people directly impacted - the communities themselves.
If you choose to vote for “Sally Edwards”, you aren’t voting for me - you are voting for you, your household and your community. You are voting to have someone who will pick up the phone and truly hear your concerns and ideas, to have someone who will have your back and for someone who won’t back down. You aren’t voting for a party powered vote. The Libertarian Party and I share these principles and values. Your vote is your ticket to you having direct input into repealing (getting rid of) or shaping the policies and laws that directly impact you, your family and your future.
If given the opportunity, I intend to -
- be available and communicate openly and honestly
- respect and listen to the people of Parkes
- put community before government
I will honor the Libertarian values and actively represent you.
Values: Community & Volunteering, Family & Prosperity, Integrity, Liberty & Freedom
Sally’s priority considerations for Parkes are simple.
- Work with a non-negotiable stance to demand honesty, transparency and accountability from the Government and bureaucrats to the people
- Energy – Lower the cost and work to ensure reliability and security
- End restrictive rules – Cut red-tape and improve the process, one restriction, one department at a time
- Support Money and the Economy – work to restore stability and true value in money, reduce inflation and reduce the National debt
“Any policies that I will support or put forward need to tick the boxes of promoting voluntary involvement from the people and clearly support and protect families, small-business and the rural way of life”.
“If elected, I will stand to protect and support family, small business and the rural way of life. For our kids and for their kids. I know that I don’t have all the answers myself but will find the people who between-them do. The knowledge, skills and experience of local people are too-often overlooked, trust that this will be the first place I start. I will work hard and doggedly when I have to. I believe a strong cross-bench can help balance out an over-sized and often mis-managed government and while I can’t stand to promise the outcomes we work towards, I can and do stand to promise the way that I will work towards them”.
Yours in Liberty,
