Thirty-three people turned out to hear from Mr Duddy with the crowd keen to quiz him on party politics and preferences. At the top of the list however was industry including mining and the environment.

Mr Duddy, who has campaigned at state and federal level over the past five years on land use issues in the Liverpool Plains area, said a key issue for the Upper Hunter was obtaining a healthy balance between industries.

“At the moment, they favour the biggest cheque book which is a great problem in regional Australia,” Mr Duddy said.

“We do need industry and we do need development but people need to be accountable.”

Mr Duddy said if elected, his priorities would be to change the current government policies, which he described as appalling.

He listed the following as key issues for Singleton.

“I definitely think health and community,” he told The Argus.

“The infrastructure is falling to bits and there is a lack of return,” he said.

Mr Duddy told the crowd he opposed the privatisation of the energy industry and mining alluvial flats.