Three years ago, Minto resident Binod Paudel was thrust into a federal election campaign as a Liberal Party candidate with very little notice.
He did his best as virtually a complete unknown to the electorate of Macarthur, but it was not to be when the votes were cast.
This time around, Mr Paudel will represent the Liberal Party as someone who has got to know the Macarthur community a lot – and the community has got to know him a lot in return.
Indeed, he confesses that was his plan the minute the 2022 election was over.
It meant that in the past three years Binod Paudel has walked just about every street in the electorate.
“In the last three years I have been focused locally, on my family, or working for the community,’’ he says.
“I became more active, joined community groups, and started listening more while being with community volunteers, social workers, seniors groups.
“I connected myself to the grassroots of Macarthur.’’
All that has paid off for Paudel, who says that three years ago while doorknocking for the 2022 election people who open the door and ask him who he was, where he was from, that kind of thing.
“Now, it’s hello Binod, how are you,’’ he says.
Almost 20 years ago a much younger Binod Paudel arrived in Australia from Nepal.
His first day Down Under was his birthday, July 28, and talking to him it’s obvious he’s been celebrating his good fortune to live in a great country like ours ever since.
“I love this country so much I decided to call it home,’’ he tells me.
But back to the 2025 election – PM Anthony Albanese called it this morning for May 3 – and Mr Paudel says getting connected in Macarthur also meant he saw first hand the reality of the cost of living crisis gripping the country.
“I live locally, I work locally, and I am always out in the community, as you’ve seen,’’ he says.
“Through my voluntary work I meet people, so I can see people are suffering.
“Everything’s gone up, and everything starts from energy, when energy bills are high everything else goes up.
“That’s where I see people are struggling and when people are struggling, they spend less and less, so businesses suffer as well,’’ says Mr Paudel.
“And when business suffers, they won’t be able hire more people, so then you get a problem with unemployment – everything is related.’’
I ask him the difference for him between this campaign and the one in 2022.
“This time I feel more responsible because I know the place even better than before, and I am more connected to the community,’’ he says.
“And I know exactly what we need in this region.
“But whatever the result I will still be here afterwards, helping people, and being part of the community.’’
One final question for the Liberal candidate in Macarthur: how does he feel taking on Dr Mike Freelander, who is shooting for a fourth consecutive term as our man in Canberra?
“When I meet people and they ask if I’m running against someone specific, I always clarify that I’m not running against anyone,’’ says Mr Paudel.
“My focus is on representing Macarthur and fighting and advocating for our region. My goal is to be the voice of the residents and work towards the prosperity of this region making it even better place to live and work.’’
