Previously a Labor Party member, Cr Duffy said he had distanced himself from the party four years ago, and would be independent.

He will join candidates include the Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Party’s Phil Donato, Labor’s Bernard Fitzsimon, Janelle Bicknell from the Greens, Scott Barrett from the Nationals and fellow councillor and independent Scott Munro.

Cr Duffy criticised the treatment of the greyhound racing industry and called on Deputy Premier Troy Grant to resign.

He said the glaring reason he was standing was “to protect our democratic right to procedural fairness, fair-play and transparency”.

“That was what was not granted to the greyhound racing industry,” he said.

He highlighted parking at the Orange Health Service as a key issue for voters outside the city, labeling it “unacceptable”.

Casting himself as a true independent, Cr Duffy said voters in Orange knew he was focused on improving life for people. 

“It gives people the opportunity to not vote politically,” he said.

“They can go to the independent and say ‘hey we want to send a message to the Baird government’ or any other government that comes, that we believe in procedural fairness and fair-play.

“I haven’t heard one candidate talk about infrastructure, health, education or employment.

“The big issue is palliative care, I’ve seen it just recently with the passing of my father-in-law.”

Cr Duffy said he witnessed a doctor apologise to a palliative care patient for noise in a room he shared with other patients.

“It’s only a budgetary matter and it needs to be dealt with. Everyone one of us knows, it’s like roads, it needs to be fixed,” he said.

“The squeaky voice gets the most oil. It’s as simple as that.”

With the National party holding the seat of Orange for nearly seven decades, he said the byelection was an opportunity for a new direction.

“I’m local, I’ve had 15 years experience at local level representing people as mayor, a deputy mayor and councillor in Cabonne, CENTROC and in Orange,” he said.

“To me if someone’s genuine and they say we’ve done a lot and we need to do heaps more, that’s not telling us what the issues are.

“People can judge me on whether I’m fair dinkum or not.”