At the University of New England, the 51-year-old rose from kitchen-hand to chief executive officer of the UNE Union within a decade, and since 2008 he’s been the Chancellor, presiding over official functions and hobnobbing with the upper echelons of Booloominbah.

In political life, he’s moved from being Mayor of Armidale to being the Independent Member for Northern Tablelands, spending four years sitting in the Speaker’s chair until the O’Farrell Government tipped him out in 2011.

Now, this hugely popular State MP, who holds Northern Tablelands with a majority of 70 per cent, is considering a tilt at the federal seat of New England, possibly under the National Party umbrella.

As his decision on whether to run fast approaches, we ask what’s motivating him to ponder a shot at federal politics, look at where he’s come from, what he stands for, and how he’d represent us when voting on issues that extend beyond the politics of the parish pump.

We’ve also put to him the questions you sent us online.

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