THE National Party candidate for Throsby says he wants to give "disenfranchised and disgruntled" regional voters a voice and an alternative.
Bowral resident Nick Cleary will stand for the party at the next federal election.
The 36-year-old father of five grew up on a dairy farm in Burrawang.
He has run a farming business, worked in financial planning and is currently a real estate auctioneer.
He joined the Nationals at age 19 and this will be his first time standing in a federal or state election.
"They're the only party solely focused on the interests of regional Australia," he said.
"Growing up in agriculture and farming and having been a farmer myself, I understand the issues and it's important that there's a political force representing those interests.
"It's not just about agriculture but those regional interests, regional communities, small businesses."
Although growing up in the Southern Highlands, Mr Cleary said he had had a long association with the Illawarra, including relatives living in the area.
At a young age he also did letterbox drops around Albion Park for National's candidates.
"The electorate of Throsby has been taken for granted for far too long by a Labor Party who feel it's their right to represent the seat," he said of incumbent Stephen Jones.
"There's a lot of disenfranchised and disgruntled voters who don't want to vote Labor or Liberal."
He said that cutting small business red tape and creating jobs were high on the National Party's agenda.
"The heart of a community is the small businesses and the jobs they create," he said.
"A Coalition government will abolish the new mining super tax and carbon tax; this will help the Illawarra especially, as this area has been hurt right across the board.
"Residents have seen the cost of living rise due to these taxes."
He said the Coalition preferred its direct-action method of tackling environmental issues, which included its Green Army projects with training wages.
Mr Cleary said the Nationals wanted to stand as a "true contender" within the region.
"We're looking to provide an alternative to the two major parties," he said.
"We want to tell those disenfranchised voters that they have a voice."
