No more Labor pains

The Yass-based Mr Pilbrow’s endorsement was announced following a pre-selection process that concluded on Monday.

Mr Pilbrow, 42, said he looked forward to the challenge of the election campaign, which will pit him head to head against Liberal young gun Angus Taylor for the seat to be vacated by Alby Schultz.

He told the Goulburn Post yesterday he was looking forward to visiting Goulburn.

“Goulburn no doubt is the heart of the electorate, the only city in the electorate, and I will be visiting there soon, and often,” he said.

“I am putting together a (campaign) team now, working on our schedule all the way through to the election.” He revealed he was first formally approached by the Labor Party to run late last year, and made the decision to nominate just a few months ago.

He told the Post that he’ll continue working, running his business “to put food on the table” while also campaigning.

Through his business, Mr Pilbrow advises Australian companies and organisations on their strategies and community engagement.

He said he believed his standing as a Yass resident and businessman, plus his successful record of community activism, positioned him well to represent this electorate.

“The voters in the Hume electorate need committed representation in the federal Parliament and I will provide that,” he said.

“Hume is very large not only in geographic terms, but in terms of the wide and diverse range of interests and concerns of its constituents.

“Voters need to know that the candidate they elect to the Parliament will be diligent in representing their interests and in pursuing the issues that concern them.

“I am deeply committed to that task.” In a long history of active community involvement, Mr Pilbrow co-founded, and has served as Chairman and Director of the West Belconnen Health Cooperative, a patientowned health service that provides 15 bulk-billing doctors and allied services to over 18,000 people across six clinics.

He has also had long involvement in education, including many years as a school P&C President, and junior sport as a manager, coach and umpire.

At the national level, Mr Pilbrow has contributed to the development of the cooperative and member-owned business movement, and has advised communities across Australia about health cooperatives.

At an international level, Mr Pilbrow is highly experienced, having previously represented Australia as a diplomat in Asia and he continues to work with governments and communities in many parts of the world. He is a Director of Sport Matters Ltd, a not-for-profit company that uses sport as a tool for people to overcome disadvantage in Australia and internationally.

Mr Pilbrow will bring all this expertise and experience to benefit the people of Hume.

“The Labor Party, of course, has a proud history throughout Hume and I look forward to building on that history,” he said.

Mr Pilbrow is married to Lynne and they have three teenage children.

Mr Taylor welcomed Mr Pilbrow to the Hume election campaign.

“I look forward to a robust debate about the future of Hume and Australia. Most importantly, we need to debate who can deliver on their promises,” he said.

“I have met the Labor candidate socially, and I know for a fact that he is a good and decent person. On that basis I think we can expect a campaign based around the real issues that matter to the people of Hume.

“However, I don’t envy Mr Pilbrow’s job. He will need to justify the trail of destruction left by this Labor government.

“More than anything, this election will be about honesty and competence of government.

People have lost faith, and it is time to restore their confidence through a change in government.” Mr Taylor meantime said that he would continue to focus on listening and explaining the Coalition plan for Hume and Australia, as he has done for almost a year.

“Country people like to know their political candidates well.

There is an expectation that you are part of communities and well understand their lives,” he said.