For nearly all of his adult life, James Ashby has called Central Queensland his home.

“I came to Central Queensland in my late teens and fell in love with it. This is a place where people are genuine, where business can still be done on the trust of a handshake, where there’s no pretentiousness. I love the laid-back casualness of this community, the coastal lifestyle, the islands and the water. For me, this is the best part of Queensland and Australia.”

James first came to Central Queensland to work at 4RO, Rockhampton. Aged 44, he’s had a long career in various media roles which took him to work in other parts of the state. However he’s always come back to the region he calls home. He’s also owned and operated two small signage and printing businesses, keen to employ local workers.

“Small business is integral to regional economies, responsible for around half of all jobs. I’ve always supported it for that reason, and with small business now under concerted attack by Labor and the unions they need all the support they can get. Governments need to step back from small business and let it do what it does best: make money and create jobs in regional communities like Central Queensland.”

James brings a great deal of direct experience in government and politics to his candidacy. For almost eight years he’s been the chief of staff to Senator Pauline Hanson, and he’s worked in other political roles too. Critically, James understands the true nature of balance-of-power politics better than most.

“It’s a fine balancing act, working and negotiating with governments to improve legislation and outcomes while also maintaining the independence to criticise government policy and propose alternatives. One Nation has a good track record in this space, and it’s a record I want to bring to bear on Queensland’s parliament.

“A long-term vision and plan for Queensland has gone begging as the major parties shorten their horizons to the next election. We must bring long-term thinking back into government, and work towards a safe and prosperous Central Queensland community ripe with opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship. In addition to promoting sound measures to address inflation and housing problems and cracking down on escalating crime, I’ll start by leveraging our region’s natural assets to revitalise our tourism industry in Rockhampton and on the Capricorn Coast.

“Ultimately, much of the wealth generated in Central Queensland ends up in the South-East and Brisbane. That’s something I’ll be working to change, ensuring that government spending in our region fairly reflects our contribution to the state economy and the Queensland government’s coffers. The people of Keppel and Central Queensland deserve nothing less.”