For your convenience, we have listed them according to the order in which they appear on the House of Representatives Ballot Paper.

Take this with you when you vote on Saturday.

Ballot position 1: Peter Hendy – Liberal

My wife Bronwyn and I are proud to call Queanbeyan home. Thirteen years ago, we recognised it as the perfect environment in which to raise our two children, Caroline and Patrick.

A professional economist, I started my career as a cadet with the Federal Treasury after achieving a first-class honours degree.

Since then I have worked as an economic consultant across many industries in both the private and public sectors, and for various Cabinet Ministers.

I have also worked overseas in an advising role and have run my own successful small business. I also studied part-time to earn a PhD in Government.

For six years I was the Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and received a Centenary Medal by the Governor General for services to the businesses community.

I am a passionate supporter of local agriculture and small business. I am a former Director of the Australia Made, Australian Grown Campaign, which advocates the purchase of Australian agricultural products by Australian consumers.

I am a strong believer in free enterprise and the important role played by families in our communities.

I also believe very strongly that hard work should be rewarded. It is vital that the Australian Government fosters a strong economy – one that will allow small businesses to grow and create jobs in Eden-Monaro.

Ballot position 2: Martin Tye – Stable Population Party

Mr Tye holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, lives in Broulee and has long had a keen interest in the population issue.

Mr Tye says that over the last 30 years he has witnessed successive governments pursue massive population growth policies without thought to the long-term consequences. 

“This has seen our infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals and public transport placed under enormous pressure. Housing has become less affordable, energy and water bills have skyrocketed, and our environment has been degraded. 

“We cannot begin to tackle these issues until we stabilise our population,” he said.

“The ‘big’ parties will try to discredit and trivialise our ideas but an economy fuelled by massive population growth and propped up by an unprecedented and unrepeatable resources boom is destined to fail. 

“It is our children who will bear the cost of these irresponsible policies. Eight of the top 10 per capita wealth countries have small and stable populations. Surveys have shown that over 70 per cent of Australians do not want a ‘Big Australia’.

“We are offering the voters a chance to send a message on the future of this country.”

Ballot position 3: Mike Kelly – ALP

My family has lived in this region for 166 years. I care deeply about our region and I will never stop fighting for our community. This Saturday we have an important choice. We can continue to invest in local infrastructure, jobs, health services and schools or we put our future at risk and elect Tony Abbott and Peter Hendy who have committed to cut jobs, investment in health and education and the NBN.

I am proud that since 2007 our Government has delivered an unprecedented $330million in funding for health services in Eden-Monaro. We have also upgraded every school across our region, investing $102million in new libraries, halls and other facilities.

In Eden, together as a community we have secured a number of projects including $10million towards the Port of Eden development, $3million for the Sapphire Coast Trade Training Centre, $160million for the new South East Regional Hospital and $145,000 for improvements to the Curalo Clinic.

The NBN is now being rolled out across Eden-Monaro. The full rollout of the NBN will boost our economy by finally removing the tyranny of distance for us in rural and regional areas.

Eden has enormous potential. With your support this Saturday, we can continue to build a better future.

Ballot position 4: Dean Lynch – Palmer United Party

I’m Monaro born and breed and have been farming on the Monaro for over 20 years.

During this time I have also been a small retail business owner and understand the pressures that small businesses face in today’s climate.

During the past five years I have been involved in local Government and I have been Mayor of Cooma-Monaro for the past four years.

It is this experience that is driving me to want to represent the Eden-Monaro electorate on a federal

level; I am not doing this for my ego, I’m doing this for my family, I’m doing this for the people and families of Eden-Monaro.

I’ve had a gut full of the lies, broken promises and banter that we have all accepted as normal behaviour from our ‘politicians’. 

I’m sick of the internal Liberal and Labor party wars that waste the hard earned cash of Australian tax payers.

The current standard of federal politician is a disgrace, their egos, short sightedness and lack of passion are hurting Australia and destroying regional Australia.

There is nothing funny about regional towns and centres closing up shop, I’m here to help our once-busy and bustling regional towns and centres regain their former glory.

Ballot position 5: Catherine Moore - Greens

Catherine Moore is an artist and carer who has lived in Eden-Monaro since 1981.

She has built a solar-efficient, solar-powered earth house, was a Palerang councillor from 2004 to 2012 and has been a member of The Greens since 1993.

Catherine is enthusiastic about the possibilities for regional self-reliance in Eden-Monaro and about

the Greens policy initiatives which have been put forward as part of the election campaign to help that happen.

“Because The Greens have developed policies based on four clear principles – social and economic

justice; ecological sustainability; grassroots democracy; peace, nonviolence and disarmament – over a long period of time and in consultation with people with knowledge and experience in their given fields, I feel very empowered to be part of a party that has such a solid base,” she says.

“You know where you are with The Greens and we are not afraid to stand up for what matters, including asking the richest in the country to pay a fairer share of their profits to fund the services and facilities that are often so lacking, especially in rural and regional areas. 

“There is great potential for employment in Eden-Monaro with an expansion of health, aged care

and education facilities, and of course, renewable energy.” 

Ballot position 6: Costas Goumas – Citizens Electoral Council

Costas Goumas is a motel owner at Eden, and for many years before that was a successful restaurateur at Merimbula.

He has been a Citizens Electoral Council activist for many years and decided to run as a candidate because he felt that the current standard of politics stinks.

“But the ideas of the CEC and Lyndon LaRouche absolutely inspired me!” he said.

Policy-wise Costas says, “The important thing is Australia urgently needs a separation of banks, of commercial banks and investment banks; isolate them completely.

“Australia is vulnerable because the banking is concentrated into just four banks and they hold majority of deposits. This puts at serious risk the deposits of people.”

Ballot position 7: Andrew Thaler, Independent

I live in Nimmitabel and Canberra, and for the past 20 years have run a scrapyard in Cooma with my wife Alisa.

Our business ties also see me travel right across the electorate through Bega, Bermagui, Eden and Queanbeyan, Jindabyne and as far afield as Port Pirie in SA and Brisbane.

I have a lot of reasons to run for Parliament. I have a family and am looking to the future of my kids. I couldn’t in any good conscience vote for any of the candidates in Eden-Monaro, so decided to run myself.

The voters have been calling out for real people to stand up. I will bring a vastly different experience into Parliament. I wear steel caps, not shiny shoes. I don’t even own a suit – yet.

Among the many issues affecting voters in Eden-Monaro, the big ticket items included phone coverage and data networks, the rising cost of electricity, and the divide between industry reliance on road networks and the decrease in road maintenance.

I would also like to highlight my renewable energy credentials. Our 36kW solar array is probably one of the largest on the Monaro and we have plans to link it with a further 30kW system with an integrated high capacity battery bank. The cost of electricity in Eden-Monaro is a real problem.

My wife and I are also finalising arrangements to purchase two partially abandoned solar farms, totalling 477kW of solar PV.