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Nationals candidate has ‘big boots to fill’

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ANNABELLE Cleeland admits she has ‘big boots to fill’ as she prepares to represent The Nationals in Euroa at November’s state election.

Ms Cleeland was announced last week as The Nationals’ candidate to replace incumbent member Steph Ryan, who will not recontest her seat.

Ms Cleeland, who has a background in agricultural journalism, lives near Seymour with her husband David and two children, and said she was passionate about health, education and infrastructure issues in Mitchell Shire.

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She said the birth of her first child Arthur more than three years ago highlighted a lack of State Government investment in local health services.

“The local health services were unable to provide me with a safe birth, and that gave me insight into some of the extreme pressures that we’re facing when it comes to our health services and infrastructure investment,” she said.

“We know Kilmore is experiencing extreme population growth, but we’re not getting the services and infrastructure we need to ensure we can have safe, healthy, supported communities.

“After the experience with Arthur, I resolved to fight for something better for our community. I’ve been a community advisor to Kilmore District Health since then with a goal of improving the health and safety outcomes at a hospital under pressure from extreme population growth.”

Ms Cleeland said she supported a Liberal-Nationals Coalition election guarantee of 25 per cent of Victoria’s infrastructure investment going to regional communities.

She said Euroa communities stood to benefit from the policy.

“Because regional Victoria has 25 per cent of the population, we deserve 25 per cent of investment. It would nearly double the capital investment in regional Victoria,” she said.

“Take the Kilmore bypass – The Nationals kickstarted the bypass when we were in government from 2010 to 2014, and Labor has done nothing on it for the past eight years. I think that shows a real neglect. They are taking us for granted.

“We have been hand-to-mouth with investment and fighting for basic needs for so long, and this will mean growth and adequate resources where we haven’t had them for so long.”

Ms Cleeland described Ms Ryan as a mentor and said she would be motivated to live up to Ms Ryan’s achievements if elected.

“Steph is a great friend, but also my greatest inspiration. I don’t think politics would ever have been on my radar had I not seen how hard Steph worked and the benefits that our community had from the work she has done,” she said.

Ms Cleeland said Ms Ryan – the first woman to hold at leadership position within The Nationals at state or federal level – had paved the way for highly qualified women to succeed in the party.

“Steph has done a lot of great work to attract that calibre of women. In preselection we had a lot of female leaders from communities all over Australia, and I know that the party is going to really support women and make sure there is great experience as well,” she said.

Farewell function for Steph Ryan

Pyalong Neighbourhood House is hosting a morning tea to farewell Member for Euroa Steph Ryan next Wednesday.

Ms Ryan is stepping away from politics as of the November state election.

The Pyalong event, starting at 10am on August 24, gives the public an opportunity to chat with Ms Ryan, and thank her for her support for the Mitchell Shire community, farmers, and Country Fire Authority brigades.

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