Five questions with National Party MLC Scott Barrett

The father-of-two and National Party MLC also discussed the "opportunities and challenges" facing regional NSW in coming decades.

Mr Barrett's first foray into public life came six years ago, facing Phil Donato at the 2016 Orange by-election. He finished about 50 votes short in one of the closest contests on record.

He joined the NSW Upper House In February, 2022 following the resignation of Nationals MLC Trevor Khan. He's up for reelection in March.

Mr Barrett has worked as a political advisor, ABC radio presenter, and a state manager for drought, bushfire, and flood relief charity GVIT.

His voting record and speeches to parliament can be found here.

National Party MLC Scott Barrett is the subject of this week's "Five questions with ... "

Growing up on a farm near Orange was an idyllic childhood. It instilled a love for nature and a passion for agriculture, which is a thread that has run throughout my entire life.

The other thing I remember from my childhood was being involved in everything. We had sport of some kind most afternoons and if not that, then piano lessons, the school playor some other community event. I see today just how import these activities are in building a community and how crucial these communities are to regional NSW.

I'm very grateful for my parents to give me this opportunity and those volunteers who continue to provide these opportunities for kids today.

I see more opportunities than challenges. I genuinely believe regional NSW is the best place to live, work and raise a family. We have wonderful facilities and access to services as good as anywhere in the state - and more and more people are seeing this as well.

We know more people are choosing to move to regional NSW and make a life here, which helps build and sustain thriving and vibrant communities - both in our larger centres and in our small towns. The challenge in this is to continue to improve our services and infrastructure while also ensuring we maintain our culture and take care of the environment we live in.

An immediate challenge is cost of living, which I think is affecting all of us in different ways. As a parent, I've really noticed the value of some of the initiatives such as the back to school and creative and active kids vouchers and have spoken to lots of other parents who have made special mention of how helpful this is at an expensive time of year.

I think people find me hard to pigeonhole. I've played a lot of rugby and cricket and numerous other sports, but I've also written and performed bush poetry, and been in plays and musicals - my musical career highlight was the lead in Grease some years ago.

I've worked on farms and a cattle station in the Kimberly but also volunteered in a Maasai village in Kenya working in a school for six months. It was an amazing experience and I'd like to take my own kids back one day.

In the 10 months I've been in Parliament, most of what I have done has been about promoting and protecting regional NSW - our communities, our way of life and our industries and I want to be able to continue doing this.

Some of what you do as an upper house member isn't always as visible as a lower house member, but it's no less important.

This year I've been on many Parliamentary committees and inquires, including some really important issues like homelessness in older people, improving our responses to natural disasters like floods and animal welfare.

Through all of this, what I bring is the regional perspective - ensuring our policies, programs and legislation consider the needs of people across rural and regional NSW. My life experience outside of Parliament helps me do this. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for regional NSW in everything I do.

The first would be Constance Couronne. A Mauritian slave who was convicted (legend says wrongly) with attempted murder and transported to Sydney for life as a 9-year-old girl. After time in the Parramatta Female Factory, she was assigned to a Police Magistrate in the Central West and subsequently received a ticket of leave. In 1841 she married stockman Robert Trudgett and together, went on to occupy their own land at Gum Flat, near Euchareena. Robert and Constance are the Great Grand Parents of my Grandmother and it would be great to hear the perspective of this pipe smoking mid wife and her experience of coming to a new strange land, working a farm and raising a family in this part of the world - a family of my direct descendants.

For my second, another local, Banjo Paterson who saw so much of the country and the world. From the Boer War then WWI In France and Egypt to of course travelling right across Australia. He would have seen so much and with an obvious gift for words, would be a great person to hear from about such travels. I also have a bit of a love for bush poetry, so I'd also to learn a thing or two!

Lastly, John King, who was a member of the Bourke and Wills expedition and the only survivor who made it to the Gulf and back to Melbourne. Returning to Cooper Creek with the expedition leaders, he survived and lived with the local Aboriginal people before being found and returned to Melbourne. His experience of taking part in this expedition, seeing this country untouched by white settlers and then the experience of surviving with local tribes would fill conversations for hours.

However, if the opportunity presented, I would love to have dinner with any or all of my grandparents who are dearly missed.

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