Outlining his decision to stand for the federal seat, Mr Oakeshott said he was aware of many important national issues that have significance to the local area.

These include:

• The need for more doctors and dentists in the Laurieton, Kendall, Wauchope and Port Macquarie areas;

• The need for a resolution to the future of the Australian Technical College in Port Macquarie;

• The need to lobby hard to highlight the financial pressures on small businesses, micro businesses, and home based businesses from within our area; and to highlight the flow-on impacts these pressures are having on the community;

• Advocacy for Australia-specific outcomes and renewable options within the national policy debate on emissions trading and climate change;

• Addressing failings within Government between Commonwealth and State boundaries of responsibility and working to minimise the impacts of these failings on our regional community;

• Chasing funding for Pacific Highway dual carriageway works north from Port Macquarie through to Kempsey, similar to the successful completion underway of all dual carriageway works within the Port Macquarie State electorate;

• Begin a national process of inquiry into the potential implications and opportunities for structural reform between the States and the Commonwealth following the WorkChoices High Court case;

•Accessing maximum dollars for our region from the Infrastructure Australia Fund;

• Accessing maximum dollars for our region from the Regional Development Australia funding stream;

• Significantly increase the opportunities for university and skills training in our local area, both public and private, and at all levels - whether school-based, vocational, mature-age, or other forms of lifelong learning;

• Work with the indigenous communities of the Mid-North Coast to deliver practical improvements for all following on from the Prime Minister’s Apology speech; and

• Generally, bringing the power of Canberra into Lyne, as well as putting more independence into the national policy agenda.

“I look forward to a challenging four weeks of campaigning,” he said.

“The Oakeshott Independent Team recognises we will be outspent by other campaigns by at least 20-1, and we recognise the seat of Lyne has been a National Party owned seat since it was first formed.

“However, we believe in our community, we have a proven track record of twelve years in State Parliament of delivering for our community, and we are excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity that is before us.”