Gurmesh Singh’s great grandfather came to Australia around 1895 as a seasonal worker and worked in cane farms. His grandfather chose to call Coffs Harbour home since 1949, and Gurmesh believes this 70-year-long connection with the local community has paved his way to enter the NSW parliament.
Mr Singh shared his passion for politics in an interview with SBS Punjabi saying, ‘Since the last four years, I have been actively involved in local matters and came to know about how policies are formed and implemented. By mid-2018 I decided to join active politics with Nationals party. The local member had announced his retirement in August 2018 and with the result of the pre-selection process, I was chosen to run from the seat of Coffs Harbour’.
He is well posed to win the seat with a clear majority, which will make him the first 'Singh' to enter the NSW parliament. Mehreen Faruqi, now a Greens Senator, earned the honour of becoming the first Punjabi to enter the NSW parliament, when she was first elected to the state's upper house in 2013.
Gurmesh Singh says farmers across the NSW mid north are rapidly running out of water. Source: SBS/Omar Dabbagh
Coffs Harbour is considered as a safe Nationals seat since 1981, which has a majority of the farming community.
‘There is always a negative swing of approximate 5 percent when new candidates run for elections. The same happened in my case this time and there was a 5.3% swing against my party in Coffs Harbour’, said Mr Singh.
Even though the Punjabi community has called Coffs Harbour their home for a long time, they account for only 500 - 600 votes. The majority of the votes come from the wider community.
About his connections with local community Mr Singh said, ‘Since I was a new candidate, we had to put up a large number of banners, had to door knock in almost all main towns of the electorate, talk and explain to people about party’s agenda and my personal strengths. And the result has paid off’.
I want to see a future where children from Coffs Harbour have the same opportunities as children from the city.
Nationals elect Gurmesh Singh as Coffs Harbour candidate
‘The first and foremost issue that I would like address is the development of much-awaited by-pass required for the area’, said Gurmesh.
‘I wholeheartedly thank all Punjabi and the wider community members of Coffs Harbour who have shown their faith in me and have given me chance to represent their electorate. I am only 35 years old, play sports and remain well connected with the community. I am looking forward to meeting and develop my relations with Sydney’s Punjabi community when I join the NSW parliament soon’.
The Singh family is involved in agribusiness from the last four generations. Source: Supplied
