For Tocumwal resident Glen Hyde, community service and leadership is nothing new.
He has 40 years in the public service sector under his belt, including five years leading the Belconnen Community Council through COVID-19.
Mr Hyde has also lobbied for workers at all levels and is a life member of the Community and Public Sector Union.
As an active Labor member for 21 years, he has served in many positions and learnt the fundamentals of representation and policymaking.
Mr Hyde said with his experience, he understood what it took to represent Farrer.
“I've already racked up over 6000km since the start of the campaign, so I understand the enormity of the job in front of me, and I have four decades of achievement to back up that commitment,” he said.
When it comes to the Murray River region, his top concern is keeping it connected.
According to Mr Hyde, the loss of Rex Airlines could “decimate” the area, as the regions' connectedness is reliant on affordable air transport, including medical transfers.
Health is another top priority, with the Labor Party looking to increase access to bulk billed GPs, cheaper medicines and Medicare Urgent Care Centres across Australia.
To address the healthcare worker shortage, Labor is proposing 400 additional nursing and midwifery scholarships and funding to train 2000 new GPs annually by 2028.
In response to local councils calling for Federal Assistance Grants to be raised to one per cent of federal taxation revenue, Mr Hyde said an inquiry into local council sustainability was launched last year.
Pending the inquiry’s results, Mr Hyde said he hoped to work with local governments to address the inquiry and achieve tangible outcomes for councils.
On education, fully funded public school education is also on the cards for the first time, as Labor is in the midst of signing agreements with the states.
Regarding water buybacks, Mr Hyde wants to listen to all those involved in order to find a middle ground.
He also disagrees with the Liberal Party’s nuclear power scheme and is concerned about the amount of water the project would need.
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