Brooke Vitnell has hit the campaign trail hard in the Liberal Party's fight to reclaim the seat of Paterson.
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The born and bred Port Stephens resident, aged 30, has vowed to be a "strong voice" for Paterson in Canberra should she win the seat from Labor's Meryl Swanson at the May 21 federal election.
"I don't think we've had the representation we've deserved down in Canberra. I am going to be that advocate. I'm going to fight tooth and nail for my community," Ms Vitnell said.
"We need someone who is going to open doors in Canberra, actively lobby ministers and put on their radar the needs of our community.
"I am under no illusions how difficult this election is. Every single vote matter in this seat."
Ms Swanson holds the seat of Paterson by a 5 per cent margin.
Ms Vitnell said she already has a strong track record in community advocacy and "getting things done", as her work through Caring for Our Port Stephens Youth, the Community Drug Action Team, Medowie Lions, and Port Stephens Women in Business demonstrated.
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As president of COPSY before her candidacy was announced in November, Ms Vitnell helped to open a second free youth counselling service, Jupiter, in Tanilba Bay. Boosting youth services in Port Stephens is one of Ms Vitnell's priorities.
"I want to see ongoing, fixed funding to support our young people across the region," she said.
Her other priorities include improving roads and infrastructure to "keep pace with the growing needs of the community", improving road and mobile blackspots and developing a crime plan to curb anti-social behaviour and improve "crime alleviating infrastructure" such as CCTV across the electorate.
Ms Vitnell said, should she be elected, she would put the case forward that the Hunter, home to Williamtown RAAF Base and other Defence industry businesses, had the existing workforce and capability to build submarines.
"I want us to build here. I want us to be a sub hub here and give more people an opportunity to have gainful employment."
Ms Vitnell said she is keen to address climate change but not at the expense of the Hunter's heavy industries or the mining sector.
Raised in Shoal Bay, the second of six children, Ms Vitnell is a solicitor in Medowie for her family's law firm.
She has assisted victims of institutionalised child sexual abuse with their claims under the National Redress Scheme and helped residents affected by PFAS with compensation claims against Defence.
She was worked as an adviser for a number of federal ministers, including former Paterson Liberal MP Bob Baldwin.
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