The Australian Labor Party has endorsed Alex Simpson as its candidate for Lyne in the coming federal election.
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Mr Simpson has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and physics and has worked as a research assistant developing energy storage technology.
People across the electorate have raised many issues with Mr Simpson.
Four major areas of concern have arisen with health and aged care services at the top of the list, plus climate change, jobs and education.
"Among the campaign's priorities, health and aged care are the most serious areas of need in the electorate," Mr Simpson said.
"Lyne is home to an older population facing the inequality we see too often in regional Australia."
The federal electorate of Lyne covers from Ballengarra in the north to Paterson and Karuah in the south and inland to the western boundaries of the areas of Manning-Great Lakes, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Gloucester, Dungog and part of Maitland.
The main towns include Bonny Hills, Bulahdelah, Dungog, Forster, Gloucester, Gresford, Harrington, Hawks Nest, Lake Cathie, Lansdowne, Laurieton, Nabiac, North Haven, Old Bar, Paterson, Smiths Lake, Stroud, Taree and Wauchope.
Mr Simpson said he had met with community groups which had strongly voiced their concerns about infrastructure, medical equipment and staffing issues in our hospitals, and he had listened to aged care workers tell him of horrible experiences reflecting those revealed by the Royal Commission.
"As a candidate for Lyne, I will fight for better outcomes in health and aged care, and I'll be looking to make commitments for the changes that Lyne needs, and that Labor can deliver," he said.
Mr Simpson said he was initially drawn into politics by the government's lack of serious action on climate change.
He said it was time to act on the messages from climate change experts.
"Having worked in Liddell-Bayswater coal-fired power stations, I greatly respect the contribution made by workers in the energy industry," Mr Simpson said.
"Protecting workers is at the heart of everything Labor does, and that is why job security and training are at the centre of Labor's policies in this election.
"Standing against the increasing casualisation of our workforce, ensuring workers doing the same job get the same pay, and giving them the skills to compete in a changing economy, are key priorities of my campaign."
Mr Simpson said we needed a Labor government, ready to bring our country back together and give everyone a fair go.
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