Candidates – Ron Pike (Australian Liberty Alliance), Dr Amanda Cohn (Greens), Paul Rossetto (Christian Democratic Party), Brian Mills (Independent), Sussan Ley (Liberal) and Trevor O’Brien (Mature Australia) – have all been given one last chance to convince Leeton shire residents to vote for them. 

Ms Ley is the incumbent for the Farrer electorate having served as the member since 2001. 

She is also the minister for health, aged care and sport. 

“During the last three years, as part of a government that really cares about rural Australia, I have helped secure $1 billion in funding for my electorate of Farrer,” Ms Ley said.

“With new boundaries taking in the fabulous Murrumbidgee region, I am asking for the opportunity to represent you, to take your concerns – about water, about health, about your children's future –  to Canberra where I know I can make a difference.”

However, Mr Rossetto believed Ms Ley needed a “wake up call”. 

“Her representation has been ambivalent … there are many areas that she hasn’t given the correct attention to. 

“The biggest concern for me is water. 

“We need the Water Act of 2007 thrown out to ensure the people in our area can thrive again. 

“There are so many disillusioned people in our electorate. It is time for change.”

“We need to be fighting for the real issues for real people in our electorate and not just be a puppet for (Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull.”

With voters set to head to the polls tomorrow, many will notice that Christian Kunde’s name will appear on the ballot for the Labor Party. 

However, Mr Kunde has stepped down from the race, so residents have been urged to make their vote count when choosing their preferences.

One candidate that agreed with Mr Rossetto was Mr Mills.  

He believed Ms Ley wasn’t answering the important questions.

“What we need is more debates,” Mr Mills said. 

“I have 25 questions that Ms Ley has not answered. 

“I don’t want to see this area decline and that’s why I wanted to stand and try and make a difference.

Mr Mills said Ms Ley as the health minister needed to act on what he said was “cancerous” orange juice concentrate being imported to Australia. He said the best citrus growers in the world were here in the MIA. 

For Mr Pike, the biggest issue at hand has always been the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. He said a vote for him would have him fighting for irrigators across the board. 

“I am the only candidate that has a plan that will fix the water situation,” Mr Pike said. 

“People in the electorate are aware of the problems associated with water and Malcolm Turnbull’s Water Act of 2007. 

“The people of Leeton shire deserve better than this. Someone has to stand up and tell it how it is.

“This is the biggest issue facing us right now and nothing is being done about it.”

However, Ms Ley said defended her policies and said she would work to do what is best for Leeton and the electorate. 

“As health, aged care and sport minister in Malcolm Turnbull's cabinet I have always promoted our regional communities,” she said.

“I have loved getting to know Leeton and surrounds. In spite of the challenges we face, I believe in a bright future for all of us.”

Dr Cohn said if elected she had plenty she wanted to achieve. 

“The people of Leeton shire should vote Greens on Saturday because we need a change,” she said. 

“Under Sussan Ley as Health Minister, and in a safe seat, Leeton hospital has missed out on about $58.7 million – that’s the kind of funding that could easily provide a locum obstetrician to revive the birthing service.  

“Not only would the Greens reverse the cuts, we’d lock in a long-term funding algorithm for our hospitals.  

“We’d also add dental and mental health to Medicare. Yes, we can afford this by reversing unfair tax breaks like the $4 billion per year hand-out to coal mining companies from the Coalition.

“The Greens do things differently – we don’t accept corporate donations and we believe politicians should be held to account by a federal independent commission against corruption.”

Mr O’Brien will be standing to represent a portion of society that he said were often left out in the cold. 

He said water, ensuring more money for pensioners and a transactional tax were his key platforms. 

“We should be looking after those people that have built and secured Australia’s future,” he said. 

“Pensioners should be receiving 75 per cent of the basic wage. A transactional tax would also make plenty of sense. It would get rid of the GST and it would pay for the pension.”

Mr O’Brien said the Murray-Darling Basin Authority needed to be seriously looked at and possibly disbanded.