CALARE MP John Cobb was apparently too busy to speak with the local media on Thursday – at least, that’s what his office would have us believe.

The Western Advocate called Mr Cobb’s Canberra office before 10am and left a message asking him to return our call, and then emailed his Orange office requesting an interview and detailing the issue we wanted to discuss.

We received only a written response that failed to answer our question, along with the explanation that parliament was sitting and Mr Cobb would not have five minutes to spare to pick up the phone.

So, you can only imagine our surprise when we heard Mr Cobb’s distinctive tones coming through the airwaves’ only local radio on Thursday – attempting to answer the very same questions we had put to his office in writing that morning.

Mr Cobb may choose to treat this newspaper with contempt, but he has no right to treat his constituents that way.

One of his staff members asked this newspaper “why we would he want to speak to you?” and we were happy to let that staff member think about a response for himself.

But if a local member is not willing to speak with the local newspaper, then serious questions must be raised about his suitability for the job.

No Labor candidate has a serious chance of winning the seat of Calare in 2016, so that means the best chance of rolling John Cobb will come at preselection time.

We know at least some local Nationals members are privately becoming fed up with Mr Cobb’s performance, so an appetite for change might slowly be building.

Any Nationals member within the Calare electorate should seriously consider making a run at preselection because, if successful, they win virtually a job for life.

But, please, you must be able to use the phone.