THE people of New South Wales first got to know Orange councillor Jeremy Buckingham in April as the Greens MP who beat Pauline Hanson to the upper house.
Now nine months later, Mr Buckingham is no stranger to Sydney, national and international media as he starts to settle into his role as a state member of Parliament.
When he won one of the remaining two upper house seats on April, 12, Mr Buckingham outlined coal seam gas and mining, and addressing rural and regional issues as being major points on his agenda.
Almost a year on, Mr Buckingham feels he has made substantial progress on these issues.
“I certainly feel I have raised that issue,” he said.
“There are 120 anti-coal seam gas groups in NSW alone and I am in contact with them on a regular basis.
“It’s a monumental task and has meant I’ve spent half my time away from home to talk to them all, but it means being a better MP.”
Mr Buckingham pointed out that he had also spent the months building stronger relationships with those who traditionally oppose Green ideology, particularly people based around agriculture.
New South Wales Farmers’ Association, the Country Women’s Association, and the NSW Irrigators’ Council are all groups Mr Buckingham says he has endeavoured to develop stronger ties with during his term in parliament.
There are two figures in Parliament that Mr Buckingham finds particularly challenging: Minister for Resources and Energy Christopher Hartcher, and Liberal Legislative Council member Dr Peter Phelps.
“They are not as perceptive (on coal seam gas issue) as I would have hoped,” Mr Buckingham said.
In 2012 the Greens’ Murray Darling Basin plan, and preparing a case regarding expansion of genetically modified food in the state will be high priorities on Mr Buckingham’s agenda.
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