Dean Moss is the Greens' challenger for the seat of Farrer, and he means business.
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Mr Moss has quit his job as a business and law teacher at a rural high school in order to throw his hat in the ring for the Federal election, which will be held on May 18.
Having left the classroom and entered the political arena, one of his key election priorities is getting more full-time teaching contracts for schoolteachers in regional areas.
He believes these are essential for schools like Murrumbidgee Regional High School, which has been struggling with unsupervised classrooms due to lack of teachers.
"These problems aren't just isolated to Griffith," Mr Moss said.
"We're not doing nearly enough to attract and retain teachers in NSW."
He'll also be advocating for the other areas in education that he believes are badly in need of fixing, such as early childcare, tafe, and universities.
Another one of his election platforms is a royal commission into the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which he says is ruining the environment that farmers depend on.
"We know small farming operations care for the environment because they have a vested interest, and we share that," Mr Ross said.
He said southern basin irrigators were paying the price as the rivers ran dry and water allocations evaporated.
"There are irrigators in Griffith who are rightly upset at the water going past their properties at exorbitant rates," Mr Moss said.
"We support long term sustainable practices that supports our farmers and supports our environment going into the future."
To this end he'll be advocating for tighter water metering regulation, an overhaul of the MDBP, and stronger action on climate change, which he says is a major factor for the deteriorating health of the basin.
"The fact is we've just had the hottest summer on record, and that hits us much more harshly west of the divide," Mr Moss said.
"Our rivers are running dry, and I believe not enough is being done in terms of climate change."
Another one of his election platforms is cracking down on political donations, which he believes is harmful to a properly functioning democracy.
These are some of the issues Mr Moss will be taking with him on the campaign trail, and he hopes these issues will resonate with Griffith voters.
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