Riverine Herald Editor Rohan Aldous posed a series of questions to Steve Brooks, Sam Birrell and Rob Priestly — recognised as the three major chances for the Federal Seat of Nicholls — this week to enable readers to gain more of an insight into their candidates before the May 21 ballot.
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In Friday’s edition we will hear from Jeff Davy (Citizens Party), Dr Robert Peterson (United Australia Party) and One Nation’s Rikkie Tyrrell.
The next five weeks will be the last opportunity the candidates have to impress upon voters the difference they can make on a federal parliamentary level as they clamber to take over from the retiring Federal Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum.
He has taken a significant back seat to this point in campaigning, even when the heavy-hitting Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce appeared at the Dhungala Bridge opening on Monday.
Liberal candidate Steve Brooks
Who is your footy team, which sport did you play as a kid, were you any good?
Bombers. We were one of those families who played ALL the sports. Mum needed one of those people-movers with multiple back seats to ferry us and our teammates from whatever weekend/after-school sport that was on. I was a competitive kid who always tried and did okay at sport, no superstar though.
What was a typical Saturday, before the campaign trail called you to action, how did you spend the weekends?
Weekends were all about playing with the dog, seeing family, mowing lawns, and going out for dinner or down the river in summer. Depending on the time of year we also did some early morning farmers markets selling our pomegranates, too.
What is your perfect meal, entrée, main and dessert and who are five people you would invite to dine with.
Arancini, parmigiana, tira-mi-su. Hughesy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Mick Molloy and Shane Jacobson.
Where did you go to school, grow up and who were your biggest influences?
Goulburn Valley Grammar School, Shepparton. Biggest influences were my grandfather Ray, my mum and dad, and my close friends.
What are the three most important things to people in Nicholls?
Having our families and loved ones supported, our businesses fought for, and prioritising water and environment. People also understandably expect that all of that to be advocated for with honesty, integrity and conviction.
Tell me three countries you have visited. And loved, when you went and why you loved them?
Singapore. I lived there for seven years for work. I loved the vibrancy, food, people and its proximity to so many other countries.
Brazil. I visited Brazil for work many times and always found the people to be so happy, friendly and very funny.
Canada. I also lived in Vancouver for four years for work and it is the only country which even comes close to being as naturally beautiful as Australia.
What is you favourite movie, book and person from history?
Movies: Harry Potter tragic.
Book: Jeffrey Archer/Wilbur Smith.
Person from history: Churchill or Mandela experienced such incredible pressure, and prevailed.
Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, partner, anyone of note in the family tree. How many of them still live in the area?
The Brooks family extend from Albury/Wodonga to Echuca/Moama the Murray River. My grandfather Ray Brooks was a big character and had 10 kids, just to keep the ball rolling! My father Chris, is a well-known water advocate for the region.
What did you binge watch during lockdown?
That strange series about the Tiger King.
Tell me three jobs you did in your lifetime and how you performed in those roles?
Grain Trader: I was responsible for selling millions of tons of Aussie grain direct to buyers around the world. A lot of travel, logistics and managing the price risk.
Teacher: I was a Year Level Leader for years 9 and 10 at Cobram Secondary, as well as teaching VCE business and health/PE. I have the greatest respect for all teachers because we can have such a positive impact on our young people.
Farmer: I’ve been involved in agriculture my entire life. From cutting, raking and baling lucerne hay as a kid, to running my own 6000-tree pomegranate orchard now.
Independent candidate Rob Priestly
Who is your footy team, which sport did you play as a kid, were you any good?
Melbourne footy club (Katandra was a Melbourne recruiting zone). Played footy, and tennis. Passable for tennis, outhouse at football.
What is a typical Saturday, how do you spend your weekend?
Summer: Sometimes on the Murray River with family, maybe visiting friends. Maybe a ride on the bike or a swim. Usually some admin or reading for work or community activities. Friends for dinner.
What is your perfect meal, entrée main and desert, and five people you would invite?
Lots of different dishes on the one table, lots of people, me cooking and a lot of laughing. Desert — done by Sonia because I can’t cook a decent sweet. Five people — old friends.
Where did you go to school and grow up and who where you biggest influences?
Katandra West State School. Key influences, Mum for strategy and business, Dad for passion and risk taking, a few different teachers for social justice, my first boss in Sydney, he showed me a lot about what to do and what not to do, Michael Cohn for negotiation, my long-term supplier of textiles.
What are the most important things for the people of Nicholls?
People want a fair society where they get access to quality services and opportunity for themselves and the next generation, regardless of where they live.
This means reasonable access to health services, aged care, internet and mobile coverage.
We are behind in this region, and we need a plan to get us back to level pegging.
Both sides of politics have plans on water policy dominated by interests outside of this region, so there are some big risks for us.
I want our fair share of infrastructure for our community.
Integrity in politics is also important.
The corruption and bad behaviour we see in Canberra isn’t what we deserve.
We all want to feel proud of the country we live in and our place in the world.
I think we can do better in matching our country’s actions with our country’s values.
Three countries you have visited, when and why you loved them?
Iceland: Three or four years ago — motorbike tour with friends. Climate and geography are like another planet.
Germany: 10 years ago The people, the business, the productive culture.
India: 27 years ago. The food and the people.
Favourite movie, book, and person from history?
Movie : Fargo, Coen Brothers.
Book : A fine balance, Rohinton Mistry.
Person from history: Nelson Mandela.
Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, partner and anyone of note on the family tree. How many in the area?
I am one of five, married to Sonia with three boys. I have seven aunts and uncles, 18 nieces and nephews. My grandmother was one of the first female pharmacists in Victoria.
What did you binge watch in lockdown?
Killing Eve, Ozark.
Three jobs I have had in my lifetime and how I performed?
Labourer: Just helping on home sites and renos on my weekends for extra cash when I lived in Sydney. I was okay at the grunt work, but I am no skilled tradie.
Grain trader: It was a good job and a good time of life. Lots of travel and a good look at human nature when it comes to money.
Business owner: Really lots of different jobs in one; marketing, HR, logistics and the list goes on. It doesn’t matter what a company does, running one is much the same: strategy, good people, good culture and managing cashflow.
Sam Birrell, Nationals candidate
Who is your footy team, which sport did you play as a kid, were you any good?
Essendon, I don’t remember why. But it was before the 1983 grand final, so it wasn’t a bandwagon thing. Football for St Brendan’s primary and Shepparton, then Assumption. But nowhere near as good as my schoolmate Shane Crawford, who was from Finley. I was okay at tennis
What is a typical Saturday, how do you spend your weekend?
Park run at Shepparton, religiously. I have been doing that five years. I try to improve myself every year. The PB for the park run is 24:20 (five-kilometre course). Then I am a gardener listening to podcasts
What is your perfect meal, entrée main and desert, and five people you would invite?
For entrée it would probably be a simple crusty bread, then a well-produced pasta with fresh seafood and I am not a desert man, it would probably be a glass of wine instead. David Gilmour, lead guitarist of Pink Floyd (my favourite), Barack Obama (one of my podcast favourites) because it would be great to listen to him speak in person, my wife Lisa, Ash Barty (recently retired) and political strategist Robert Gibbs.
Where did you go to school and grow up and who where you biggest influences?
Toolamba Primary, St Brendan’s Primary, Shepparton High School and then Assumption College, where I did 1989-92 as a border. I was influenced by a number of my father’s friends, including then Chief Superintendent Bryan Harding — who was at the time the secretary of the police association and a great intellect.
My mother and father who had a diverse range of views on the way the world should work. They are both surprised that I ended up as a Nationals candidate, but I’m very comfortable with my decision.
What are the most important things for the people of Nicholls?
Economic security, the opportunity to get ahead with hard work and opportunities for voters’ families.
Three countries you have visited, when and why you loved them?
India, when I was 21, I spent a couple of months travelling and visiting friends. It completely opened my eyes to the contrast between Australia and the developing world.
Chile, where I spoke at an horticultural conference on water requirements of apple crops. It was amazing to have 350 Chilean apple growers listening to a Spanish translation of my presentation.
I lived in the United States, San Francisco, when I was four-years-old and attended kindergarten there. I was there for six months with my parents.
Favourite movie, book, and person from history?
Movie: Three days of Condor, 1975, a spy movie set in New York. Book: Highways to a War by C.J. Koch. Person from history: Bob Hawke.
Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, partner and anyone of note on the family tree. How many in the area?
Three younger sisters, one still in the area, one in Melbourne and one in Scotland. Three uncles and aunties, my wife Lisa and I were married in 2006 and we have two children — a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.
What did you binge watch in lockdown?
West Wing was my go to. I decided to watch it for a second time.
Three jobs I have had in my lifetime and how I performed?
Agronomist, which is the area I studied (agricultural science) and worked in for 15 years. I was based in Shepparton, but travelled around the Australia and the world in horticulture and irrigation.
CEO for the Committee of Greater Shepparton, where I spent six years.
Political candidate. I would rate my performance as so far, so good, on that front.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor