How Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is selling his 2014-15 federal budget

While many Abbott Government backbenches appear to be unhappy with the dismantling of social justice, equity and access outlined in their government’s first federal budget – Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan is behind these budget measures all the way.

Kevin Hogan’s support for the federal budget in his own words, as itemised by Google’s  search engine since 14 May 2014:

* Budget invests in the future of Page - Kevin Hogan

* Federal budget delivers for Page students - Kevin Hogan

* Coalition's first budget delivers for Agriculture - Kevin Hogan

* Government success stopping illegal boats to save $2.5 billion

* Budget delivers on commitments for people with disability and carers

* Page students, schools and community to benefit from record funding for schools

* New Work for the Dole arrangements for young job seekers

* Strengthening higher education for students in Page | Kevin Hogan

Local media are not necessarily responding as Mr. Hogan may have hoped.

The Coffs Coast Advocate 14 May 2014:

THE people on the North Coast aren't fools so why do our Federal politicians continue to treat us like we are.

There's nothing wrong with toeing the National Party line but surely it isn't too much to expect some independent thought from Cowper MP Luke Hartsuyker and his Page counterpart Kevin Hogan.

Within 12 hours of Treasurer Joe Hockey finishing his Budget speech, the offices of both Mr Hartsuyker and Mr Hogan issued media releases with their reaction to the Budget.

Incredibly both men said EXACTLY the same thing.

That's not just the media releases saying the same thing, but both men were quoted as saying exactly the same words….

EXAMPLE No.1
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion schedule of Pacific Highway works. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."
HOGAN QUOTE
"This budget will ensure the continuation of the current $4 billion work schedule of the Pacific Highway. It also includes more money for local roads through additional investments in the Roads 2 Recovery and Black Spots programs."

EXAMPLE No.2
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."
HOGAN QUOTE
"The Government has made the difficult but necessary decisions to put the Budget on a more sustainable footing so that we can all share in prosperity in the future. We are all playing a part - because it's in sharing the load that we lighten the load."

EXAMPLE No.3
HARTSUYKER QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."
HOGAN QUOTE
"Labor ran up five record deficits and left $123 billion in future deficits.  If we took no action, debt would have hit $667 billion.  Every month, the government is paying $1 billion in interest costs on Labor's debt. Governments, like households, must live within their means."

Surely both men didn't say exactly the same thing. Surely these university educated men have some insightful thoughts of their own….

Echo NetDaily 21 May 2014:

Federal Page MP Kevin Hogan (Nationals) is refusing to answer questions from The Echo on how his government’s budget will affect his constituents.

The electorate of Page covers Lismore, Ballina, Iluka, Casino and Grafton.

Mr Hogan’s media representative Peter Weekes said, ‘Kevin is happy to answer any questions from media covering the Page electorate, but as your readers are not in Page, it would be best if you direct these questions to Mr Hockey’s office, or Matthew Fraser who stood as the Nationals’ candidate in Richmond’.

We pointed out that Echonetdaily covers four shires, including his electorate.

Echo NetDaily 24 May 2014:

‘Our message on this budget has been atrocious. The clarity of the message very messy,’ he [Hogan] told Echonetdaily.

 

Kevin from Page tells Parliament.....

At www.kevinhogan.com.au the Nationals Members for Page, Kevin Hogan, informs the world that he told the Australian Parliament about the benefits of reducing red and green tape.

However no-one appears to be listening to his 5 minute speech if the empty government benches behind him are any indication:

The lack of a credible audience is nothing new for Hogan, as this occasion where he was informing Parliament of his views on investing in education clearly demonstrates:

On his feet to speak on the Appropriations Bill saw him again in an almost empty chamber:

When he was giving his views on drought support the audience was so riveted by his wisdom that one of the two Coalition members in camera range is clearly scrolling down her mobile phone:

This charade of backbench MPs rising to speak to an almost empty chamber in order to have Hansard record something, anything, they can wave under the noses of their electorates is a cynical charade practiced by all parties.

It is no substitute for effective representation and active lobbying, but then it only has to fool local voters long enough to convince them to place a "1" beside a sitting MP's name at the next election - and with regional media no longer strong enough or willing enough to look further than a politician's latest self-serving media release that is all too easy to accomplish these days.

NOTE: All snapshots taken from videos found on Kevin Hogan's website and YouTube.

In answer to Kevin Hogan's comfortable assumptions....

NSW North Coast Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, making comfortable assumptions about the March In March: Australians United For Better Government, The Northern Star, 17 March 2014:

"I get that there are a lot of Labor and Greens voters who are cranky with the result of the last government…

We're just implementing the politics we said we would and the Australian public overwhelmingly gave us a mandate to do so in September."  

The reality was that marchers came from politically diverse backgrounds:

@bigemlilorgan

So how is Kevin Hogan making the Australian Parliament aware of concerns held by local communities in his electorate in relation to coal seam/tight gas exploration & mining?

Kevin Hogan has been the Page electorate’s ‘man in Canberra’ for some months now.

Before his election he was aware of the level of opposition to coal seam gas/tight gas exploration and mining in his electorate and, heavily implied that he would progress these concerns if he became a member of the Australian Parliament.

Two days after he was elected, The Australian reported him as saying: "I'm very aligned to values of the Nationals and so the Coalition, but I stand for the interest of regional communities like mine first, and I will be doing that as strongly and forcefully as I can".

Since then Kevin Hogan has spoken about his own alleged concerns about the negative impacts the gas industry may have on the Northern Rivers region at the 23 November 2013 Kyogle Gasfield Free Celebration and, was also listed as a speaker at a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers public meeting on 8 March 2014 who was going to speak about what he can do politically for his constituents.

Details of the 8 March meeting are yet to get a mention on his website, Facebook page or Twitter account.

To date his official website does not mention coal seam gas/tight gas exploration and mining under the Local Issues tab and, the subject is conspicuous by its absence in his posted media releases as well.

There is also little evidence that he is actively lobbying behind the scenes in support of community concerns relating to the gas industry.

He has spoken in the House of Representatives on at least sixteen occasions, but only once in his first speech on 20 November 2013 did he make mention of coal seam gas mining and, even that passing mention did not acknowledge the concerns held by communities in his electorate:

Madam Speaker—I like to have you here and I acknowledge you on the job you have been given and the great poise that you bring to the role—mining and farming can be a delicate balancing act in certain regions. I acknowledge the work done by my coalition colleagues in the New South Wales parliament, tightening up farmer protection in relation to coal seam gas mining in New South Wales. I acknowledge my federal colleagues and our position. Our policy is that water and prime agricultural land, as well as built-up areas, need to be protected from CSG mining. I believe, and in my opinion, so does the majority of my community, that given current extraction techniques this policy currently rules out the electorate of Page from CSG mining.

Voters in the Page electorate have a right to be suspicious of both Mr. Hogan’s election campaign statements and his resolve to strongly and forcefully stand up for his electorate now he is faced with the reality of his own Federal Coalition industry minister’s commitment to furthering the interests of the gas industry.

Hogan postures on social media

There are 90 Coalition members of the Australian House of Representatives.

Even if Labor, minor party and independent members all voted against any legislation put before the House which supports the coal seam gas industry, the Coalition would have a voting majority of 29 in any division called.

Which makes Hogan's promise to cross the floor nothing more than a hollow gesture as his government would still comfortably win the vote.

Is Kevin Hogan playing coy with the media over his position on coal seam gas mining?

The Nationals Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, went to the 7 September 2013 federal election declaring his opposition to coal seam gas exploration and mining on the NSW North Coast until it could be proved there were no negative impacts.

As late as November 2013 he was attending the Kyogle Gas Free Celebration stating that he had “great reservations”, “real questions marks” about the industry, and was willing to “cross the floor” on any vote concerning CSG.

Although a month earlier in the print media he had begun to state that he could see where pro-mining Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane was coming from in his support for the NSW gas industry.

Since that 2013 rally Mr. Hogan has been rather quiet on the subject of coal seam gas mining and the opposition of Northern Rivers communities to establishment of this industry in the region.

There is no current mention of coal seam gas on his official website that I can find, he lists no advocacy on behalf of the electorate concerning coal seam gas in his own review of his first 100 days as an elected representative.

Similarly his Facebook timeline has been silent on the subject since he became a member of parliament, whilst his Twitter account makes no mention of his position at all except in one tweet praising Metgasco’s temporary suspension of exploration activity way back in March 2013.

Behind the scenes in 2014 there are journalists, working for state-wide and national newspapers, who are beginning to wonder why he is now "ducking and diving" any coal seam gas questions posed to him.

Safely ensconced in his seat with a healthy boost to his income, part of the Canberra political scene; has Kevin already begun to forget the little he knew of his electorate and quietly joined the coal seam gas club?

PACIFIC HIGHWAY: Nationals MP Kevin Hogan and his November 2013 electorate newsletter

The Northern Star: Federal and State MPs Kevin Hogan and Don Page hard at work allegedly turning “the first sod”

Complete with a colourfully festive holly sprig graphic, Nationals MP Kevin Hogan’s glossy November 2013 newsletter led off with this opening paragraph: Within weeks of being sworn in as the Federal Member for Page, Kevin was turning the first sod for the Pimlico to Teven upgrade on the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the Pacific Highway. “The political squabbling is over. We are getting on with the job of saving lives,”.......

I can breathe a sigh of relief – Kevin has donned his superman costume and taken to the air.

He has turned the sod on a section of the Pacific Highway approximately 2.3 kilometres long, being built by Leightons Constructions Pty Ltd and, funded as part of the joint former Labor Federal Government and current NSW Government commitment to the upgrade with preliminary ‘soft soil’ work begun in January and project tenders invited in April 2013.

Kevin of course was not elected to the 44^th Australian Parliament until 7 September 2013.

However, these few kilometres may be the only road work done for a long time (if they are done at all), as Kevin and his colleagues have withdrawn $70 million of Commonwealth road funding from NSW this year.

The Sydney Morning Herald 15 December 2013:

Despite promises the Pacific Highway upgrade would be delivered sooner under an Abbott government, projects at Maclean and Ballina will be delayed and funding cut, the O'Farrell government has revealed.....

A NSW Budget document revealed last week that project planning on the Pacific Highway had been delayed, and Commonwealth roads funding would be reduced by $70 million this year.

A spokesman for NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the Commonwealth funding had been ''rephased'', and would be paid in coming years.

Pacific Highway construction that was due to take place this year that will now be delayed includes ''priority three'' projects for dual carriageway upgrades between Woolgoolga and Ballina.

''Both the Australian and NSW governments share the goal of completing the Pacific Highway upgrade by 2020,'' the spokesman said.....

All of which leaves one wondering just how much of the $2.5 billion the Abbott Government promised NSW voters to upgrade the Pacific Highway over the next two and a half years, the North Coast will actually see as new dual road on the ground.

Kevin Hogan has some explaining to do.

Nationals MP Kevin Hogan caught trying to rebrand funding

Federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, appears to think the voters in his electorate are all idiots and that this clumsy attempt to rebrand funding, by inserting himself into story, would go unnoticed.

This is Hogan in The Northern Star on 14 December 2013 along with Diesel the wombat and friends:

Three new rainproof features worth $500,000 were unveiled at the popular local attraction yesterday by owner Tony Gilding and Federal MP for Page Kevin Hogan....

"We have no problem getting tourists here," Mr Hogan said.

"But we know from every study we do the longer we keep them here, the more money they spend."

These are the same new features being announced in the Echo NetDaily eight months earlier by then Federal Labor Government MPs Janelle Saffin and Justine Elliot who were photographed with the very same wombat:

Tony Gilding of the castle yesterday announced a major expansion and refurbishment program. The program is in part funded by two grants from the federal government’s tourism industry assistance schemes. The total project budget is excess of $500,000 and the funding assistance from the federal government is $227,475. The balance will be funded by the Macadamia Castle.....

Federal MPs Justine Elliot and Janelle Saffin attended the launch of the Macadamia Castle expansion program. Ms Elliot said the Macadamia Castle is one of the north coast’s most iconic and exciting tourist destinations. In operation for more than 30 years, its animal park has provided exciting adventures for generations of kids. ‘I’m proud as the local MP to have delivered this important federal funding for an outstanding local business,’ she said. ‘This federal funding will help Macadamia Castle expand to provide more jobs and enhance their tourist attractions. I congratulate Macadamia Castle for their outstanding role as a major tourist destination on the north coast.’

Ms Saffin said she was pleased to support the application for federal funding as Macadamia Castle provides valuable employment and training opportunities to over 50 local people. ‘Many of his wonderful staff are my constituents, as are many of the local families that take advantage of the attractions wonderful facilities.’

Side by side with Hogan’s photo opportunity with the wombat, The Northern Star ran this short article on 14 December 2013:

THE Federal Government has scrapped the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund Grants Program.

The Northern Rivers received $500,000 for two tourism-related infrastructure projects from the program.

It is understood the money will be redirected to larger tourism infrastructure projects instead of the government picking individual businesses to benefit.

"In line with the government's policy priorities for tourism, funds allocated to the TIRF grants program will be re-focused to support demand-driven infrastructure for the tourism industry," the Department of Industry website stated.

Apparently Diesel will not be having his photograph taken with Mr. Hogan again for quite a long while.

Federal Industry Minister demonstrates his contempt for Nationals MP Kevin Hogan

Liberal MP and Federal Industry  Minister Ian Macfarlane apparently wasn’t going to conceal his contempt for a fellow member of the Abbott Government and, unfortunately Page MP Kevin Hogan was obviously unable to find the courage to openly confront him in the media.

Northern Star 24 October 2013:

THE latest survey suggests Richmond Valley residents are against coal-seam gas, but that has not swayed Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane's support for the industry.

Yesterday Mr Macfarlane met with Northern Rivers stakeholders in Canberra including anti-CSG groups, farmers, local dairy and beef industry representatives, local MPs, and Metgasco chief executive Peter Henderson......

"The local member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said to me there were 7000 protesters at a protest - he has over 100,000 people in his electorate - that doesn't sound like a majority to me," Mr Macfarlane said....

Page MP Kevin Hogan said he was happy that all parties had the opportunity to have their say.

The new Nationals Member for Page needs to act quickly if he is to get a decent slice of the regional funding pie

This was the new Nationals Member for Page Kevin Hogan in the local media:

The Northern Star

24 September 2013:

A CHANGE of government has brought uncertainty to the upgrading of the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange.

The Labor campaign promise of $3.5m to go towards the renovation of the Casino Saleyards has fallen by the wayside with the Coalition now in power.

Newly elected Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, said all was not lost.

"We didn't make that promise but I really like the idea, as I see the value of contributing to the upgrade of the saleyards," he said.

While Labor's Regional Development fund has been disbanded, Mr Hogan said it would be replaced with the Coalition's Stronger Region fund.

"As soon as their door is open I will have the application on their desk," he said.

25 September 2013:

However, Member for Page Kevin Hogan is good at multitasking, yesterday packing up his old office while being interviewed for this story simultaneously.

The poll will be officially declared today and he will get the keys to his office.

For his first 100 days of office he has set himself some big goals.....

He planned to roll out funding for the Pacific Hwy upgrade and work toward fulfilling his campaign promises to provide more than $4 million to Ballina District Hospital as well as making installation of CCTV in Casino a priority....

It would appear that Kevin Hogan is very optimistic about his chances of securing funding under the Stronger Regions Fund and is patiently waiting for it to open its doors before acting.

Because under Stronger Regions what will be created are finite area funding pools from a budget of $400 million (with no funds distributed before 2015-16), Mr. Hogan actually needs to be vigourously lobbying now if he is to deliver a local funding arrangement capable of delivering the $3.5 million required for the Casino Regional Livestock Exchange upgrade as well as the many other infrastructure needs of local councils and communities.

Until then, the only money coming into the Page electorate for regional development will be that former Labor Government funding which Treasurer Hockey has been unable to claw back.

As for Ballina Hospital, well that is a costed $5 million Coalition election promise due to be delivered in this financial year. Again Hogan needs to get his skates on and see the hospital funding signed off on as soon as possible because there is a clear intention in the Coalition costings that this financial year it will only be spending $35 million in new funding nation-wide.

When it comes to the $3.6 billion Pacific Highway upgrade funding which Kevin Hogan promised to release and the promised $2.1 billion in extra funding – one has to wonder where it is all coming from.

Coalition election promise costings make no mention of this $5.7 billion and, it appears that for the next three years the Abbott Government will only be spending the same total amount outlined in the former Labor Government’s upgrade plan. In other words no more than $2.5 billion in total.

One also has to wonder where Mr. Hogan’s promise to obtain $463,969 in funding for 55 CCTV cameras in Casino CBD is leading, for the Abbott Government’s Safer Streets Program will not be releasing any funding until the 2014-15 financial year and how much money it holds in hand will likely rely on how much is received by government under Proceeds of Crime legislation.

Why weren't the Northern Rivers' Page and Clarence electorates represented at the NSW Energy Security Summit on 26 September 2013?

Snapshot of petroleum titles & applications which cover predominately coal seam gas exploration, 30 September 2013 http://minview.minerals.nsw.gov.au/mv2web/mv2

The new Federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, is fond of telling voters that he will stand with local communities against coal seam gas exploration and mining in the Northern Rivers region.

This was Mr. Hogan in The Northern Star, 30 September 2013:

Newly sworn-in Page MP Kevin Hogan says he won't be pressured by Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane to support CSG in the Northern Rivers, while Metgasco chairman Nick Heath has declared the NSW Government 2km exclusion zones "arbitrary" and "illogical".....

Then in The Daily Examiner, 1 October 2013:

KEVIN Hogan says while he can see where the Coalition's pro-CSG Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, is coming from, he remains opposed to unconventional gas mining in the Page electorate.

Mr Hogan was asked to give his position after the Minister for Industry told an energy security summit of gas industry stakeholders he wanted to see more CSG rigs in place "by Christmas".

He also advocated for a "one-stop CSG shop" streamlining Federal and State regulations....

Finally in The Northern Star, 2 October 2013:

New Page MP Kevin Hogan says he is "exceptionally disappointed" at Metgasco's decision to return to the Northern Rivers. In a statement, Mr Hogan says he has arranged to meet with Metgasco chief Peter Henderson next week to "convey my belief that there is currently not community support for CSG within the Northern Rivers"....

However, despite being sworn in the day before, Kevin Hogan apparently did not attend the NSW Energy Security Summit on 26 September 2013, where coal seam gas industry regulations as well as ways and means to counteract community opposition to coal seam gas exploration/ mining were subjects for discussion.

Neither did NSW Nationals MP for Clarence Chris Lazybones Gulaptis attend. One of his staffers cited the usual trite excuse - "commitments in the electorate".  Whatever these alleged commitments were they did not appear to rate a mention in the local online media.

The Northern Rivers region and, residents in the Page and Clarence electorates, should be key stakeholders in any discussions and one would have thought both Hogan and Gulaptis would have arranged to attend this summit as observers even if one or both may not have received a formal invitation.

The bottom line is that Metgasco Limited and other coal seam gas miners had a seat at the government summit table but Northern Rivers communities did not.

While Hogan and Gulaptis stayed meekly in their electorates,  Metgasco used its presence at the summit to lobby both federal and state government representatives/agencies.

Then announce on 2 October its intention to renew exploration at an unspecified date and its plan to proceed with the Rosella EO1 well approximately 12kms north-west of Casino township - a well site which may require drilling through aquifers to reach the gas and possibly also fracking to release this gas which has a hydrocarbon mix that includes methane.

These two politicians should be ashamed of themselves. Though on past performance by Nationals MPs on the NSW North Coast, I'm sure that they will not give their manifest failings so much as a passing thought in their eager rush to reach those golden parliamentary perks.

Is the Abbott Government intent on removing the planned buffer zones in Casino to benefit coal seam gas miner Metgasco?

The Northern Star 26 September 2013:

CSG regulations in NSW have also come under pressure from outspoken new Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane, who since coming to office has gone from sympathising with opponents of the industry to calling for its urgent expansion - particularly in NSW - and referring to CSG activists as "anarchists".

The Minister has specifically cast doubt on whether the residential exclusion zones should apply to regional towns like Casino, telling Guardian Australia: "the bottom line is … it needs to be a buffer from major urban population centres not from hamlets, and the gas companies are saying the system in NSW right now is simply not practical or workable".

So is the Abbott Government going to further encourage the NSW Coalition Government to allow its draft buffer zone legislation to lapse?

Does Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane and Federal Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan intend to redefine this Northern Rivers county town (est. population 10,558) as a hamlet?

Will their NSW Government counterparts do more than display token resistance to any firm proposal to remove buffer zones from some regional towns and villages? 

This is Casino NSW from the air......

These homes and commercial buildings are part of Casino's streetscapes......

* Images found at Google Images and realestate.com.au

Kevin Hogan - another Nationals MP who doesn't understand the Internet

On 7 September 2013 approximately 46.65 per cent of voters in the Page electorate gave their first preference vote to the National Party’s Kevin Hogan.

Kevin is now the Federal Member for Page in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Like his NSW Nationals state counterpart before him, Kevin has attempted to obliterate the contents of his campaign website.

One has to suspect that, like his Prime Minister Tony Abbott, he has no idea how the Internet actually archives items.

Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis caused a deal of hilarity when he closed his 2007 federal campaign website down, as Pandora already had it online in perpetuity.

Now Kevin is also causing a great deal of belly laughter across Northern New South Wales.

This is the only page remaining on his post-7 September 2013 version of his election campaign website:

This is the same home page of Kevin’s pre-polling day version of the website, courtesy of the Wayback Machine:

Just for good measure and in the interests of an accurate historical record, here is Kevin's website copy of his how-to-vote- card, which is also still available online at Pandora along with his 2010 and 2013 campaign websites:

Everyone of Kevin Hogan's election promises are there on the Internet  for all to see - forever.

Click on images to enlarge

The new Member for Page really is what's-his-name

This morning in the time session usually occupied by local rural news ABC North Coast local radio presented an election post-mortem.

A voter at a polling place in Grafton told the ABC he likes Tony Abbott so he voted for "what's-his-name in Page". Quite obviously, the voter had no idea know who the National Party's candidate was.

If that wasn't enough to put listeners off their corn flakes an interview the ABC conducted with State Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis didn't help.  Gulaptis, who has his own identity problems due to something of an association with the disgraced former MP for Clarence Steve "Speed Camera" Cansdell, told the ABC that voters on Saturday thought he (Gulaptis) was Hogan and wished him well in the election. Gulaptis also said that Hogan has people thinking he is Gulaptis.

The Nationals have an identity crisis.

Readers are invited to match the names of current and former Nat identities (see above) with their mug shots.

Credit: Images from Google images

What's-his-name is the new member for Page

So you think the new member for Page in northern NSW is a bloke called Hogan. Well, think again. 
Seems the bloke is also known in some circles as Hutchinson. 
Furthermore, there a bit of doubt about where he was born ... was it regional NSW or regional South Australia?



















Hogan told The Daily Examiner (2/9/13) he was born in a small town in regional South Australia.

NSW Nationals and Kevin Hogan act the political cowards yet again

Faced with more federal election campaign funding than they know what to do with and in the last week of the campaign, the NSW North Coast Nationals and their candidate in Page, Kevin Hogan, once more distribute attack advertising without either the word Nationals, the National Party logo or Kevin Hogan's name or photograph appearing on the flyer aimed at popular sitting MP Janelle Saffin.

This time campaign advisers have gone one step further and offered a little gratuitous young female flesh as a side order of nasty.

The previous attack flyer is here.

Dear 'Kevin Hogan For Page' - GO AWAAAAAY!

As the Nationals shift focus onto and election campaign money into the Page electorate, locals have not reacted favourably.

This selection of  voter comments concerning the advertising blitz appeared on their candidate, Kevin Hogan's, Facebook site.

Carly Woodstock With respect Kevin, may I ask how much was spent on your campaign and advertising? I'm sure that you are a great bloke - but in all honesty I really find it all a 'bit much'. I for one am finding it visually off putting seeing those signs and billboard banners plastered everywhere throughout our beautiful region...reminds me of Chairman Mao in the sense of it being quite suffocating. Best wishes, but as an upcoming voter - I would like to know the true cost $$$of your campaign.

August 29 at 1:08am

Heidi Jones I totally agree Carly - what a waste of money and resources. They are everywhere - on the corner, in the shopfronts, on the telegraph poles, in windows - it is a visual assault!!

August 31 at 1:28am

Tina Vitolins They are even leaking out down here in Grafton area too very much an eyesore and the amount of junk mail from you is horrendous lucky we can recycle !

21 hours ago

Elena Nieuwenhof can you please stop sending me like 200000000000 letters in the mail every week it getting really annoying and its not helping the environment nor is it persuading me to vote for you ~*bye*~

August 30 at 3:53am

David Hutton Yeah fuck off you moron

August 30 at 5:41am

Bonnie Martin Dear Kevin Bogan, today I received yet another letter in the mail from you, making all these ridiculous claims about saving households money and miraculously lowering interest rates. And yet under a Labor government we have the lowest interest rates I can remember. You say the Carbon Tax increases pressures on households... What about the GST. I'd rather a tax on destroying the environment over a tax on living.
If your wasteful spending on this election campaign is anything to go by I would not call you a good money manager. Everywhere I go in Lismore I see your angry face leering out, billboards, on the side of buses, on cars and shop fronts. You have 3 ads on TV. I hope the tax payer isn't footing this bill 

August 26 at 1:09am via mobile

Sonia Makings So today there were two girls that were in school uniform doing letter box drops in our street. Well I can assure you that not a lot if any were actually put IN letter boxes as there was a bundle of at least 45 dropped two houses away from ours. They were blowing down the street after they were dropped and myself and my two girls had to pick them all up. Not real happy at all!

August 27 at 1:50am via mobile

Josh McMahon ok i have liked you. now fix my problems. you can start with that leaky tap in the backyard. and the cat litter needs changing.

Mickey House I guess the opportunity has been missed but, where are the indigenous and ethic people in your campaign or commercials?

Do their families count?

Do their families' worries matter?