Born in Dubbo, he is married to Jill and has five children John, Robert, Thomas, Elizabeth and William.

He studied his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Sydney and did post-graduate studies in Australian Taxation at the NSW Institute of Technology.

Mr Blanch also completed the International Senior Management Program and the Owner President Managers’ Program through the Harvard Business School.

He was admitted to practice law in the Supreme and High Courts.

However, the Blanches now breed superfine merino sheep on their farm at Georges Plains near Bathurst.

In the coming federal election Mr Blanch said he wants to focus on being a champion for infrastructure including a Bell’s Line Expressway.

His other areas of interest include water security for the region, childcare, rail, mental health and aged care.

In the past Mr Blanch’s political aspirations have centred around Liberal politics.

He first considered standing for pre-selection in Bradfield in 1992 but he had a young family and decided the time wasn’t right.

In 2004 he was endorsed as the Liberal candidate for Calare.

In 2007 he was a candidate for selection in the federal seat of Mitchell and later that year transferred his Liberal Party membership from Blayney to Killara to support Brendan Nelson in his campaign.

In 2009 he sought pre-selection for the Liberals in Brendan Nelson’s seat of Bradfield.

Mr Blanch also ran unsuccessfully as an un-grouped candidate in the Bathurst Regional Council elections

of 2008.

Mr Blanch said the reason he resigned from the Liberal Party was because he’d had enough of factional party politics.

“I’m not a factional player. That is why I am now running as an independent,” Mr Blanch said.

He said his political ambition had its genesis when he was 15 years of age, following two experiences when he was growing up in Dubbo.

“The first was a visit to Canberra with my father, who inspired me to think anything was possible in this country,” Mr Blanch said.

“The second was a black and white motion picture film highlighting poverty and human suffering that

I had watched on television in our family home. It had a profound and lasting effect on me.

“I made a promise to myself to help make the world a better place.”

Where independent candidate for Calare Paul Blanch stands on:

Climate Change

“There is no doubt in my mind that if Australia placed a price on carbon, which represented a tax of some kind, and no other country did that we would be disadvantaging our own people.

Equally, I have no doubt that President Obama will eventually turn his mind to a price on carbon. When that occurs, decisions will be made elsewhere in the world that will impact on Australia. Therefore it is imperative that Australia gets a good seat in the international negotiating tent to ensure we get the

best deal for our country.”

Mining Tax

“There is nothing new about the fact that our mineral resources are reserved into the Crown.

If people are not getting a fair reward and [are] seeing significant profits transferred to other countries, particularly China then it is appropriate we should be keeping here in this country what is

a finite resource.

Any profit that comes from a mining tax should be spent solely on new infrastructure for the future as our mining resources diminish.”

Asylum seekers

“I think we must distinguish between illegal immigrants and genuine refugees.

It is important to distinguish between being a soft touch and being compassionate.

If people are genuinely oppressed, whose lives are in immediate danger, if women and children are in danger of being raped or killed, I would like to think this country could extend a welcoming hand.

If they are just trying to jump queues I have no sympathy for them.”