Kate Hazelton has been announced as the Nationals candidate to contest the seat of Orange at the March state election.
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Mrs Hazelton was endorsed following a unanimous vote after a presentation to party members in Robertson Park’s CWA Hall in Orange on Saturday.
Deputy Leader of the NSW Nationals Niall Blair said there was “no one better to be the local champion for the seat of Orange” to “get that seat back at the table of government”.
“She’s served overseas, she’s served in the armed forces and she’s spent the rest of her career working in business, in the health sector and also raising a wonderful family,” Mr Blair said.
“We are not looking at a career politician here, we are looking at someone with not just life experience but world experience. Someone that’s served on the battleground and also served those who need her help.”
Mr Blair said Orange residents had been looking at Bathurst and Dubbo and asking why local members weren’t standing up to get the infrastructure required for the area.
I love this region and I will be out there every day campaigning as hard as I can for the things we need here.
- Kate Hazelton
“The simple answer is because they’re standing on the sidelines throwing rocks, they’re not in the rooms where the decisions are being made,” Mr Blair said.
“That’s why Kate is a fantastic addition to our team. She’s going to be a formidable opponent and she’s someone the national party is proud to have endorsed today through this meeting.”
Mrs Hazelton was the only person nominated to replace Yvette Quinn from Parkes as the Nationals candidate after Ms Quinn resigned last year amid accusations of bullying.
Mrs Hazelton said she did not believe it was a tough time to be a female politician and she’d never witnessed bullying among members of the party.
“I come from a long line of very strong women so we’ve always stood up,” she said.
“A lot of the members are behind me now and they’ve been incredibly supportive – I’ve never seen bullying.”
Mrs Hazelton said she wanted better infrastructure for small towns, job growth and improved health care for the region – particularly in the area of mental health.
“I love this region and I will be out there every day campaigning as hard as I can for the things we need here,” she said.
“I am a listener. I am a hardworker and I will fight for the needs of the people of this region.”
- READ MORE: Kate Hazelton set to stand for Nationals against Donato in state election
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- READ MORE: Quinn resigns: Nationals without a candidate to tackle Donato in state election
- READ MORE: ‘We will be competitive’: Nationals pledge to find candidate to tackle Donato
The mother of three is married to farmer and businessman Richard Hazelton.
In a profile report she sent to Nationals party members, she was originally from the New England area but spent most of her childhood in Young before going to school overseas.
She said she later returned to Australia and joined the Army Reserve and has served as a nurse in Iraq.
Mrs Hazelton will have to beat sitting Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party member Phil Donato at the election to regain the seat for the Nationals.