STRATFORD musician and former The Voice Australia contestant, Mick Harrington, has been juggling performing music for locals and campaigning for locals as he is a candidate for The Nationals in the Upper House at tomorrow’s election.

Mr Harrington spoke to the Gippsland Times after his performance at the Sale Country Music Festival on Saturday afternoon. He is fifth on the Coalition ticket for the Eastern Victoria region, so he’s a long-shot candidate, but said he entered the race to back Gippslanders.

“Honestly, I’m unlikely to be elected because I’m that far down the ticket, but it’s great to be able to go out there and advocate for country areas and advocate for Gippsland, and make sure we get our fair share,” he said.

“There’s a lot of politicians in Melbourne who think that Victoria stops at Pakenham. And it’s my job to make sure that they remember that it doesn’t.”

Mr Harrington said the main issues he’s running on were roads, infrastructure and health.

Mr Harrington cited the Coalition policy for $10 billion over 10 years to fund Victoria’s road maintenance.

He also backed shelving the massive Melbourne transit infrastructure project, the Suburban Rail Loop.

“We’re going to spend all that money on health,” he said.

“It’s going to mean new hospitals, renovated hospitals, ambulances that actually turn up when you want them to. When your family is suffering an emergency, you can actually get an ambulance to turn up on your doorstep.”

Mr Harrington has been handing out how-to-vote cards at early voting sites, and said that voters told him they appreciated he was not a typical politician.

“People are glad to see someone like myself who doesn’t have a higher education background…and to see people having a crack, and making a difference in their area,” he said.

“I’ll never ever stop doing music. But my true passion is making sure that Gippsland is a great place for my kids to grow up and for everyone else’s kids to grow up.

“That our kids have the same access to health services, to education and to good jobs that ensure they can stay in the country if they want to.”

Mr Harrington also ran for The Nationals in the Senate at the May federal election.