THE latest candidate for the seat of Eden-Monaro says he will have a better connection to the people of the federal electorate.
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Andrew Thaler, of Nimmitabel, has thrown his hat into the ring as an independent for the upcoming federal election.
Mr Thaler runs a scrapyard in Cooma – he has been in business for 20 years, 15 of which have been spent on the Monaro.
His business ties also see him travel right across the electorate through Bega, Bermagui, Eden and Queanbeyan.
“I have a lot of reasons to run for Parliament,” Mr Thaler told the BDN this week.
“I have a family and am looking to the future of my kids.
“I couldn’t in any good conscience vote for any of the candidates in Eden-Monaro, so decided to run myself.
“People have been calling out for real people to stand up.
"I will bring a vastly different experience into Parliament.
“I wear steel caps, not shiny shoes.
“I don’t even own a suit – yet.”
Mr Thaler had previously been courted as a potential Australian Democrats candidate.
However, due to what he said were bitter internal factions within the party, he broke off ties with it and chose to run as an independent.
“I do ascribe to the values of the Democrats, but I can’t be a part of that [internal division] if the rift were to spill over and wreck my chances,” he said.
Mr Thaler said among the many issues affecting voters in Eden-Monaro, the big ticket items included phone coverage and data networks, the rising cost of electricity, and the divide between industry reliance on road networks and the decrease in road maintenance.
As he is also part of Saturday night’s Clean Energy for Eternity candidates forum in Bermagui, Mr Thaler also highlighted his renewable energy credentials.
He said his 36kW solar array is probably one of the largest on the Monaro and he has plans to link it with a further 30kW system and a high capacity battery bank – effectively taking his entire scrapyard operation off the grid.
“The cost of electricity in Eden-Monaro is a real problem.
“We pay around 36c per kWh commercially and 32c for residential.
“In Canberra they pay 17c per kWh.
“It almost makes it worth plugging an extension lead over the border.”
Mr Thaler’s entry into the campaign for Eden-Monaro means voters now have six candidates from which to choose once election day arrives - Labor’s sitting member Mike Kelly, Liberal Peter Hendy, Catherine Moore from the Greens, the Palmer United party’s Dean Lynch and another independent Ray Buckley.