Originally born in Winton, Ive now lived in Emerald for close to a decade, after moving here for work. I now work as an underground development miner (Which I viewed as short term) for one of the larger mining companies, I fell in love with the town and decided to stay on.Before that I have worked in a number of industries as a station-hand, a truck driver, a form-setter and a welder to name few. Ive also competed as a saddle bronc rider/steer wrestler and travelled around Queensland and Australia competing when I was younger. When Im not at work or renovating my other property, I play golf, cook and head out to the races. Its a great central place to catch up and meet new people. Im 34 year old, single with strong family values and still looking for the right woman. Since the campaign began Ive driven over 15 thousand km talking to community groups wherever I can find them. I hope to get out to Quilpie and Windorah area some time soon to let them know they will not be forgotten now that their favourite son Vaughan Johnson is retiring. Unlike many of the other candidates Ive a limited history with state bureaucracy. My father ran for local council one year and my mother is also very involved in with the CWA at branch and divisional levels as International office and president over the years. Being from Gregory most of my life (Winton was in Gregory before the boundary where moved) I have seen a decline in services to the area in health, roads, school,internet connections and infrastructure. Since Campbell Newman has come in to power our local member and local issues have really been put on the back burner. Its easy to see politicians on the news and complain about them, but instead I thought I would be a bit more proactive, stand up and do some thing about it. While I am focused on achieving great outcomes in all areas the issues I would like to address first include the sub-contracting of the road works done by main roads/road tec. This method of increased privatisation and decreased public services decentralises our communities. Instead I would put the jobs back in our towns, which would put money back in our committees. Long term investment in these small towns would encourage people buy/build homes. I would like to see programs which assist the unemployed of the area earn qualifications and training in pest management. This will help combat our weed and wild dog problems in Gregory. There are a number of programs that the aboriginal committee of Woorabinda have up and running, I hope to speak to their council about these initiatives in the coming weeks. I believe listening and seeking out continuous contribution from those in the area is an essential part of the role. Because Im part of the community, working for the community its would be my job to take on ideas. They are called public servants after all. I would also hope to be strong voice for Gregory in Brisbane not a voice for Brisbane in Gregory. We need to look out for each other, and thats what I intend to do. I dont believe in party politics, I just want to work with the other parties to best serve Gregory and the people in it. Katters Australian Party runs on that ethos, the only political party to allow their members to vote with their conscience for their constituents - every time. While I wouldnt say I have a strong political background but I dont believe people really want to see yet another career politician representing them. Instead those who have actually lived and worked in the area need to be heard. I grew up hearing stories of my uncle fighting for his rights in the main street of Winton during the 1950s shearing strike. From that Ive learnt you need to stand up for what you believe in, not let the changes happen in front of you. Ross Stockham Endorsed Candidate for Gregory Katters Australian Party Ph: 0429338513
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 12:20:46 +0000
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