Mrs Dalton, a mother of four and former teacher, is the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers’ Party candidate for the seat and said she knows only too well the importance of education in rural and remote areas.
“I want to work closely with local schools to ensure they are resourced adequately so local students have access to the same opportunities as city kids,” Mrs Dalton said.
“Under the watch of the Nationals, Deniliquin has taken a real hit with basic health services, and the removal and downgrading of government departments has meant there are less families in the area.
“Less kids in our schools means less funding.
“Raising children in rural areas has many advantages, but basic rights like education and health care are not always as well funded as they should be. Our children deserve access to everything that city and larger regional centres have.”
Mrs Dalton said she has spoken to local parents who have a lot of admiration for the excellent teaching staff across the district, and this needs to be rewarded.
“I want to put better incentive schemes in place to encourage and reward teachers who come to work in rural areas, and I want to make sure our schools are well funded so those teachers have the resources they need,’’ she said.
“I know what it takes to raise kids in the bush and families come first.’’
She said other priorities would be water, health and forestry.
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