CHRISTIAN Democratic Party candidate for Paterson Peter Arena will make a strong stand on immigration if elected.
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His grandfather, who immigrated from Italy in 1896, built a successful milk bar on George Street, Sydney, before he was "rounded-up" for internment in 1945.
"There was no animosity over these measures," Mr Arena said.
"Neither my father or grandfather taught me Italian.
"They didn't want me to be an Italian living in Australia, they wanted us children to integrate.
"Today, my policy is that there is a flood of immigrants and they need to be processed off-shore before we decide if they are fit to be Australian citizens."
Mr Arena developed his boutique Nelson Bay real estate agency in 2008 while caring for his mother who had terminal cancer.
"Nelson Bay needs a much better health facility," he said.
"There are a lot of retirees here so there's a definite need for a fully-equipped hospital.
"How and when that would happen is a major question but I would certainly advocate for this ."
This is Mr Arena's second tilt at federal election. He went to the party leader Fred Nile's 80th birthday bash in Canberra in 2014, where he said he was persuaded to stand again.
"Police numbers during holiday periods is also an issue," he said.
"It’s a state issue but I've got a productive relationship with Fred and [MLC] Paul Green."