1. 6 SNNEWS SHEPPARTON NEWS, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014
State Election 2014
Not having Barr of itNATIONALS CANDIDATE DOESN’T SEE HIMSELF AS FAVOURITE TO WIN SHEPPARTON DISTRICT ELECTION
Explaining position: Nationals candidate for Shepparton Greg Barr at his Katandra West home.
Small town lifestyle: Susan and Greg Barr outside their home-
made chicken coop.
On the job: Greg Barr gets ready to get out into the electorate.
Garden time: Greg and Susan Barr.
While Nationals candidate
Greg Barr appears to be the
favourite for the seat of
Shepparton, he is taking that
view with a grain of salt.
‘‘I’ve never looked at it as,
‘I’m the favourite’,’’ he said.
‘‘No-one has placed a single
vote yet.
‘‘Would I be disappointed if I
lost? Absolutely.’’
Although he has not
visualised winning the
Shepparton seat; he said the
first thing he would do if
elected on November 29 was
hug his wife Susan and
previous boss Nationals State
Member for Shepparton
Jeanette Powell.
‘‘I’m a much more of a
conservative thinker,’’ he
said.
‘‘All I’m focused on is head
down, bum up and the result
will be what it will be.
‘‘I will have no regrets (come
election day).’’
With posters across the
Shepparton district and
appearances at almost every
public function the city has to
offer, campaigning has been
Mr Barr’s full-time job since
he resigned from his role as
Mrs Powell’s adviser and
electorate officer.
Much to the embarrassment
of his two children Max, 15,
and Brooke, 12, his name and
face are plastered across his
car.
He declined to say how much
he spent on his election
campaign, but assured it was
‘‘not exorbitant’’ and the
party had several fundraisers
in the past four years from
film nights to dinner auctions
to fund electoral campaigns.
Susan Barr, who works as a
teacher at Notre Dame
College, said the whole family
had input on her husband’s
decision to run for state.
‘‘I go to a lot of the functions
with Greg and he brings the
kids along to everything,’’ she
said.
‘‘They are involved in the
experience and to see Dad on
TV is interesting for them.’’
A typical day for Mr Barr
starts off with reading as
much news and social media
comments as possible and
communicating with
ministers, community
organisations, concerned
residents and the media
before heading to meetings
and events.
While his competitors and
some community leaders
argue Shepparton needs to
be a marginal seat to gain
more for the region, Mr Barr
does not believe it would help
the electorate in any way.
He referred to an interview
with ABC election analyst
Anthony Green who said
there was no evidence that a
marginal seat received more
funding across time than any
other seat.
When asked what he could
offer over the previous 47
years of Nationals
candidates, he said he did not
want to compare himself to
them.
‘‘Any differences will be for
others to judge,’’ he said.
Mr Barr said he was settled in
his Katandra West home,
which was the reason he left
the police force.
To progress through the ranks
he would have needed to
move to Melbourne, which he
was not prepared to do.
He has been president
secretary and treasurer of
Katandra West Recreation
Reserve during the past 13
years, president of Katandra
West Bowling Club for the
past 10 years and is a
member of Katandra West
Fishing club.
When he is not fishing,
bowling or campaigning, he is
driving Max to and from his
part-time job and training
with Brooke.
He cherishes the father-
daughter time with Brooke,
who asks him to accompany
her to the oval where she runs
laps to prepare for the School
Sports Victoria 1500 m race
(which she competed in last
week).
Mr Barr joined the National
Party in 2004, when he
worked for Ms Powell.
He said there was no
pressure for him to join the
party, but he liked its values
and representation for rural
residents.
With 20 years in the police
force and another 10 years
working for Mr Powell, Mr
Barr has polished his
communication skills.
‘‘Communication is the most
important part of the job,’’ he
said.
‘‘People come to you with big
ticket items and individual
issues.
‘‘(The issue) may not seem to
be incredibly important, but
to that person it (could be)
the most important thing in
the world.’’
So far, he has been greeted
with politeness and respect
while doorknocking in the
electorate.
‘‘I’m concerned that at 11 am
on a Saturday morning a
wannabe politician is the last
person people want to talk
to,’’ he said.
‘‘They are thinking about
mowing the lawn or getting
the kids to sport, but they’ve
been very polite.’’
Mr Barr said some of the
issues constituents raised
with him were long-term
water security for the region,
connections to Goulburn-
Murray Water’s new systems
— due to be completed by
2018 — unemployment and
the increase of the drug ice.
He said the people who
questioned the connections
project time frame were just
eager to get connected to the
new system and farmers were
keen for assurances that
enough irrigation water would
remain in the area to continue
the Goulburn Valley’s crop
production.
‘‘People are ensuring we have
a strong economic future in
the area,’’ he said.
Mr and Mrs Barr had
discussed drugs — and
especially ice — with their
children.
‘‘Have the discussion sooner
rather than later,’’ he advised.
‘‘Shepparton is no different to
anywhere else, there’s a
whole range of things as a
parent you need to sit down
and chat with your kids
about.’’
He said sporting clubs should
discuss ice to bring it into the
open.
‘‘In Katandra, for example, we
look after each other and our
kids and we have spoken
about (ice) with individuals,
but not in the club,’’ he said.
Mr Barr said he was ready to
work hard to tackle the ice
problem.
He said people who never
touched the drug needed to
be targeted as well as users
and commended the media
campaign What are you doing
on ice?.
Mr Barr was keen to speak
with Shepparton police about
the amounts of the ice that
quantified a trafficking
offence and if they needed to
be changed, would have the
conversation with
government ministers.
He believed the penalties
that were in place were
reasonable, but sentencing
was sometimes frustrating
for magistrates.
The redevelopment of
Goulburn Valley Health can’t
come fast enough for Mr
Barr, whose children were
born at the hospital.
He said parts of the hospital,
including the emergency
department, needed to be
updated and he would like to
see an extra theatre and
more cancer services.
Mr Barr has not made an
election promise yet, but he
does commit to keeping the
lines of communication open
to the Shepparton
constituents.
He believes Shepparton is
the best place to build a
home, start a business, raise
a family and create a great
lifestyle.
With the state election
taking place on
November 29, News
journalist ELAINE
COONEY has visited
the candidates in their
homes. As well as
learning what they
stand for, she catches
an exclusive glimpse
of their private worlds.
Today, The Nationals’
candidate for the seat
of Shepparton Greg
Barr is in the spotlight.