For most of the twenty-five years that Michael Johnsen has lived in the Hunter Valley the area has been a safe seat for the Labor Party. Despite rapid growth in the region’s economy and population over that time he believes that the people of the Hunter have missed out on their fair share of government funding for roads, hospitals and the infrastructure they need to maintain their way of life.

 More importantly Michael believes that Labor has failed to provide leadership for the Hunter. The result has been growing tensions within the community – between miners and farmers, between developers and local residents.

Vital decisions have not been made in the best interests of the entire valley. Michael believes that the problems the people of the Hunter face today – with divided communities, traffic snarls and a lack of basic services – are a direct result of living in a seat which the Labor Party takes for granted.

Michael sees the choice for the people of the Hunter as clear – voting for Labor, means risking an ETS and a super tax on mining which will destroy tens of thousands of jobs in the valley. Voting for The Nationals will send a strong message to Kevin Rudd – stop taking the Hunter for granted.