THE PUB TEST | What's on our panel's mind as election looms?

Last Monday, the Western Advocate introduced The Pub Test, a panel of everyday people from the electorate who'll be sharing their diverse views with readers as the election rolls on.

Here, the Bathurst members of our panel give us some more insight into their thoughts on the 2022 election.

Mr Pearson says Labor's long delay in announcing a candidate for Calare has created an opening for independents and other minor parties.

"At this stage, one independent has made a mark for herself in Calare, and that's Kate Hook," he said.

"Whether I vote for her or not, she's gained 'first-mover advantage' and may be the one to give incumbent Nationals MP Andrew Gee a run for his money.

"Calare is the first federal seat west of the Blue Mountains, represents 180,000 people and has grown in population by 25 per cent in the past 10 years.

"As the seat's in safe Nationals hands [13.3 per cent], Labor don't appear to be as interested in trying to win the seat, but the best outcome for Calare in this election will be a transition to a marginal seat, because that's when it'll get the attention of all the major parties."

Mr Pearson said he had always been a swing voter, "having sided with both conservative and left candidates in the past depending on their policies and personality".

IN NEWS AROUND BATHURST:

Mrs Pearson says she has noticed that most of Calare's federal funding "seems to be funnelled into Orange - which is a real concern as Bathurst, Lithgow, Mudgee [and surrounding communities] are all essential regions of the electorate".

"Coming from Indonesia, which was an autocratic regime grounded in conservatism when I grew up, I was a conservative voter for a long time once I came to Australia," she said.

"But once I became more entrenched in the architectural profession, I started seeing that some of the conservative policies were wanting, which convinced me to adopt a broader mindset when casting my vote."

Mrs Pearson says she swings her vote "towards the person, or the party, who I feel will deliver the best outcome for the community".

Mr Jurd believes the current government is stuck in its way and is unwilling to compromise because it might affect its image.

"The LNP have been in for three terms and what have they done for us?" he asked.

"I can't think of anything that they have done that has affected me in a good way."

A bit closer to home in Calare, Mr Jurd believes the current member - Nationals MP Andrew Gee - doesn't have much of a community presence.

"I think he's a bit out of touch," he said. "He did send me a birthday card, which was nice, though.

"I feel like an independent would be great for our area as they don't belong to our party and would have our interests in mind."

He isn't necessarily tied to one particular party, saying: "I vote for who I like the best at the time - whoever is offering to make our country better and has a clear plan."

He did say, however, that his only preference for voting is not voting for the Greens.

Considering the past years, Mr Hastie believes "we could be in a much worse place" with the current government.

"Obviously there's areas where it's lacking in the avoiding scandals department and could be doing in other areas, but I would wager that a Labor government would be just as scandal-ridden and also be behind in some areas, given the nature of politics, human nature and power," he said.

"We'll have to wait and see for things to go further down the line as the results of the last while."

While Mr Hastie said he pays attention to politics on a national scale, he said he hasn't necessarily paid much attention to local politics.

"I probably ought to," he said.

He is not aligned to any particular party.

"I can't say I've voted incredibly consistently with any of the major parties," he said.

Our Pub Test panel also includes Molong small business owner Pete Manwaring, full-time call centre consultant Gail Copping from Orange and small business owner Matt Bayada, also from Orange.