A date has been set for the Bega and Monaro by-elections.
Voters in each region will head to the polls on Saturday 12 February 2022.
The two seats were left vacant after the resignations of Andrew Constance and John Barilaro.
Monaro candidates include the Nationals Nichole Overall and Labor’s Bryce Wilson who both live in Queanbeyan.
Fiona Kotvojs is the Liberal candidate running for the seat of Bega, Peter Haggar was announced as the Greens Candidate earlier this week and Michael Holland will represent Labor. It’s reported the Shooters and Fishers party will also announced a candidate for Bega.
Meanwhile, after 19 years, today is Dr Holland’s last day as a contracted Obstetrician with the Southern NSW Local Health District.
After raising serious concerns with the NSW Government about the unsafe practices across the Bega and Eurobodalla Shires, Dr Holland was driven to run as a candidate for Labor in the up-coming by-election.
Dr Holland would be on call for up to 120 hours a week and said he ‘won’t miss the late nights’.
“I want to acknowledge my colleagues, the health care workers, nurses and doctors who work tirelessly for our community,” Dr Holland said.
“Their dedication to their work is a testament to their character.”
The pandemic has shone a light on the enormous pressure our health care system is under, however this has been an issue that the Bega electorate has been facing for decades according to Dr Holland.
Raising the issue of staffing and service shortages with the NSW Government and NSW Health on multiple occasions, Dr Michael Holland said he was ignored.
“I have been disheartened by the lack of services across our region, and along with that the lack of staffing in our hospitals,” Dr Holland said,
“I have raised these issues on multiple occasions with the NSW Government – however nothing has been done,” he continued.
“I thought, if I can’t fix the problem as a doctor, I had to do it politically.
“We need a representative who listens to and stands up for our community.”
Image Credit: James Fennessy, Dr Michael Holland
