ON THE BALLOT: Independent candidate Terri Ann Baxter. Photo: SUPPLIED
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY:
- Name: Terri Ann Baxter.
- Political party: Independent.
- Age: 50.
- Family: Five children and four grandchildren, three children reside with me at home.
- Where do you live? Currently reside in Narromine.
- What do you do for a living? As a highly-educated woman, parent, educator, volunteer and entrepreneur, I wear many hats, which enables me to solve many problems. What I do doesn’t revolve around money - it revolves around making people smile. I help those that can’t afford to access what they need, and direct them to the right people to help them. I do what I do because I know what it feels like to struggle to make ends meet, and live day-by-day just going through the motions. What I do has brought relief to so many people and shown them there is another way. As a parent of a son with intellectual special needs and supporting my children in their cadetship and journey has been a fantastic journey so far. Educating my youngest little pocket rocket with special needs - ADHD, OCD, dyslexia and asthma - is an amazing journey.
- How long have you lived in the Orange electorate? My three children and I have lived in the Orange electorate for the past fourteen years. We recently relocated to Narromine due to construction adjacent our property which is not suitable for the asthmatics in the family.
- What is the best part of living in the Orange electorate? Exploring my own backyard, meeting people and enjoying the fruits of their labour.
- Why are you running for the state seat of Orange? As a survivor - a bike accident at a young age, the loss of a child and seeing firsthand the poverty, homelessness, crime and struggles of families just trying to get by within the electorate - I decided this is the path I should take. I believe I can do more for those less fortunate to have the luxury of a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.
VIDEO: Terri Ann Baxter's pitch to the Orange electorate …
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
POLICY POSITIONS:
- In the past couple of years Orange has received far less government funding than the Bathurst and Dubbo electorates. How do you propose to redress that imbalance and, if elected, what would you spend the money on? If elected I would focus on housing shortages, poverty within the Orange electorate, aged and palliative care, domestic violence, education and school safety, childcare, creating employment, lowering unemployment, water resources and management, dental and health care, tougher management of crimes of paedophilia, crime in the Orange electorate, live exports, immigration, arts and culture industry, roads and public transport, emergency services, and the continuation of rural libraries.
- The new XPTs are in the pipeline, but there have been no meaningful commitments on track upgrades to straighten the line between Orange and Bathurst. Meanwhile, the push to extend the Bathurst Bullet train to Orange and build servicing facilities for the train here is yet to yield results. If elected, what will you do about these much-needed service upgrades? I will consider the current situation and obtain further information, and push for the best outcome.
I believe there is more that can be done to resolve the rapidly growing rate of illegal man-made drugs in the rural areas, and would push for a drug rehabilitation facility.
- The Northern Distributor Road is taking the lion's share of Orange's freight traffic now. If elected, will you fight to make the Northern Distributor Road a regional road to shore up its maintenance funding, and if not, what will you do to ensure Orange City Council receives help to maintain it? I will consider taking this on and pushing for the best outcome for Orange, as I have recently advocated for others.
- If elected, what measures would you support to tackle to ice and illegal drug issues in Orange? Is the solution as simple as increasing the number of police in the city? I believe there is more that can be done to resolve the rapidly growing rate of illegal man-made drugs in the rural areas, and would push for a drug rehabilitation facility. I believe that my policy on drugs coincides with my policy recommendations in other areas to begin to fight back on many levels.
IN THE ELECTORATE: Independent candidate Terri Ann Baxter. Photo: SUPPLIED
- Do you support the proposed Mount Canobolas mountain bike trail centre? If so, and if elected, how will you help Orange get the required funding to make the project a reality? Yes, I fully support the centre and would advocate to achieve the required funding.
- If elected, will you support replacing the palliative care 12-month trial with a full-time facility, and with more than the current four beds? Yes, I fully support this and have addressed aged care conditions. I will advocate for a full-time facility with extra beds and CCTV security monitors, for full- and part-time aged and palliative care.
- What are the major issues facing the villages and small communities in the Orange electorate, and if elected, what steps would you take to improve them? I will fight for funding and the return of basic services relating to drought, housing, domestic violence, poverty, mental health, suicide, availability of basic services and growth.
POLL: Have your say …
Poll conducted by polldaddy
- If elected, what measures would you introduce to decrease the up to six-week-long waiting lists for people seeking support for mental health issues in Orange? I would push for more counsellors and medical staff for the Orange electorate.
- The crippling effects of the drought continue to be felt in the Orange electorate. Assuming you are elected and the drought continues, what relief measures would you fight for in the first weeks and months of your term? If elected I would fight for water, feed, dams, water silage, grain silage and housing.
- There is a possibility the next state Parliament will have a conscience vote on decriminalising abortion in NSW. Where do you stand on this issue? I believe this is the 21st century and there are circumstances that warrant a procedure at times, and this should be performed in a safe and clean environment under professional counselling and medical care.
BATTLE FOR ORANGE: Independent candidate Terri Ann Baxter. Photo: SUPPLIED
- Orange has an enormous amount of early education-aged children. If elected, what would you do to help families tackle the growing cost of day care? I will consider the options to introduce a bonus paid every quarter to assist with ongoing childcare cost up to the age of three, and in respect of current subsidies.
- If elected, would you be willing to speak and vote against your party's policies and platforms if if was clear that the majority of the Orange electorate's constituents held a contrary belief? As an independent I stand by my policy, however I also have the opportunity to consider all options and facts available to me before making any changes or decisions that would affect my policy or the Orange electorate.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below …
More from Local News
More from Local News
More from Local News