The familiar sight of the Mildura Settlers Function room is once again home to a gathering of around 500 or so people while streaming on his facebook page. Showstealer takes a moment to gather his thoughts before stepping up to the lectern to speak

Friends, it's been a while hasn't it? Longer than I thought but once again I stand before you today here in familiar surroundings to ask once again for your vote and your trust to be the members for Nicholls.

Our region is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, we have many diverse regions, from the farmers in the Mallee, the battlers in Gippsland, the strong people of the Grampians and West Wimmera we are one of the most unique electorates in the land.

We are the nation's foodbowl, most of the food that ends up on our tables comes from Nicholls. We are some of the hardest working, down to earth, honest people in this great country of ours.

And yet, when it comes to the people recently that have been given the privilege to represent this great region, this broad community that I speak of, we are being abandoned by people who claim they will make a difference then proceed to do nothing, we've seen it time and time again in recent times, people work hard to get elected then proceed to do nothing and here we are again.

The LNP is the prime example of this, we've seen time and again that they have no ideas of what to do once they are in power, their policies are mostly backwards, the same things we've seen before out of them and yet they never change, because they're incapable of changing, they are incapable of getting away from the same ideas that have proven to be failures time and time again. The fact that the LNP has chosen umatbru of all people to run in this by-election only shows the contempt they have for the people of Nicholls, they weren't there for the people of Nicholls during the catastrophic floods that happened, their last member didn't show up at all and there is nothing to indicate this time will be any different, we can not as a region put our trust in their hands again.

The CPA are hardly any better, as much as they do have some decent ideas, their methods have been ultimately as questionable, mostly ignoring the regions unless it suits them politically, like it does now. Once we are no longer useful to them, they will leave us to the winds again and we will be in the same place.

Many people, especially those here in the Mildura region are still counting the costs from the floods that have only receded in the past month or so. they're hurting and need assistance to get back on their feet and to get tourism started again. In Gippsland, people are crying out for better roads and rail as the regions continues to grow at a fast rate. In the Mallee we need better solutions to ensure the nations foodbowl continues to provide for the people of Australia. And all of the region the cost of living crisis continues to grow, many households are having to choose between medicine and food. They require help as well.

That is why I have put my hat in the ring once again, with my vertigo now able to be managed I can once again focus on what I have tried to do ever since I first was given the honor by the people of Nicholls to represent them, to have someone in parliament who is local, who understands what they are going through and to try and fight for solutions to those problems and to stand up in Parliament and insure their voices are not only heard but listened to. For I genuinely believe that is the only way Nicholls will be listened to, having someone who knows what is going on fighting for them.

I make no qualms about our chances in this by-election, after so long away the fight we face is Herculean, we are fighting parties who, while they have done very little for the people of Nicholls, have proven national records, have large amounts of donations and funding to throw around. We are a grassroots movement, we always have been, we survive and we thrive because of the support and belief of the people of Nicholls that a local voice is the best voice for the people of Nicholls to ensure we are heard. We need that movement again. Nicholls deserves better. Nicholls deserves the best. Nicholls needs a voice. Once again. I want to be that voice. To stand up the parties that have stopped caring and show them the real face of things, to show the country that Nicholls is the best electorate in the land. To ensure our voice is heard.

Make no mistake, this isn't a vanity thing, I could just as easily show up for a few photo ops, make a few dollars and head off. I don't step up unless I feel I can do the job. The grassroots movement of Nicholls is back and win or lose, I will ensure our voices are heard.