SOUTH Riana dairy farmer Garry Carpenter is the Liberal candidate for Braddon in the forthcoming federal election.
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Mr Carpenter was the only nominee for the candidacy and was formally endorsed at a Liberal Party meeting at Sulphur Creek yesterday.
Liberal Party state director Jonathan Hawkes said Braddon was vital in winning government and Mr Carpenter was the man to win it.
"He's a born and bred local who's lived in the area all his life," Mr Hawkes said.
"He's very keen to get out, hit the ground running and get to meet as many people as possible and listen to all the local issues."
Liberal sources had talked about as many as four people giving serious thought to nominating, with former state Liberal MHA Brett Whiteley being the most prominent, but in the end it was only Mr Carpenter who put his hand up.
"We always like to have a contest at preselection but in the end, unfortunately, we didn't have one," Mr Hawkes said.
"But that's certainly no reflection on Garry, who we think can take the seat back from the Labor Party."
Braddon is held by Labor with only a 2.3 per cent margin.
Mr Hawkes said the mining super profits tax would be an issue in the campaign and one that Mr Carpenter was keen to start talking to locals about.
The candidate was not available to speak yesterday but The Sunday Examiner spoke to him last month when he decided to run.
"When we look at where we are at the moment, with interest rates going up and the job market shrinking, we've got to get in and get some good representation at the federal level again," Mr Carpenter said.
"I've got a hell of a lot to learn and a lot of work to do to put some pressure on (sitting Labor member Sid Sidebottom)."
The 52-year-old has had a long involvement with the Penguin Football Club and has run a dairy farm for the past 20 years at South Riana, the town in which he was born and raised.
Previous jobs, including a stint on the night shift at Lactos, as a West Coast salesman for Burnie Wine and Spirits and owning a contracting business, had taken him all over the electorate, he said.
"I've always been interested in government and politics."