I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the 2,317 people who participated in the first ever community preselection for the state seat of Ballina, a seat extending from Yelgun in the north to Wardell in the south.
It is refreshing that more people voted in this process than in the seats of Campbelltown and Newtown.
Democracy is about participation and shaping the way decisions are made. Your participation has already shaped the next election. I am now the Labor candidate. Over the next six months I will be embarking upon a series of conversations with the electorate on issues of local interest and concern. I look forward to your input and ideas leading up to the next state election.
To those who did not participate in the preselection process – don’t despair. You still have one more opportunity to vote on election day Saturday March 28, 2015.
Paul Spooner, Labor Candidate for Ballina
