Coonamble puts on a good show, and the Coonamble Rodeo and Campdraft is one of the biggest and best combined events in the southern hemisphere.

I enjoyed being in amongst about 5000 cowboys and girls and spectators for this great event.

Thanks Coonamble, and congratulations to all those who saddled up, climbed aboard and showed awesome riding and guiding skills in the ring.

Men’s, Boys and Dads Forum: An Evening with Jamie and Llew

Join myself and Shadow Envoy for Men and Boys Llew O’Brien in Dubbo for a frank conversation dedicated to the overlooked issues facing men, boys, and families in regional Australia.

Llew and I will be joined by representatives from Boys To The Bush and Tradies In Sight Inc.

In 2024, 3307 Australians died by suicide, and more than 75 percent of them were males.

Men also have higher rates of lung cancer, liver disease and heart disease.

They have lower life expectancy, higher rates of chronic disease, and lower rates of education.

This forum will be a place for men and boys to be heard, and for us to understand what is troubling men and boys in the Dubbo region the most.

The Men’s, Boys and Dads Forum is a free event and will be held at 4pm on Saturday, June 27, 2026 in the Starlight Room of the Dubbo RSL.

Anyone interested can RSVP to my office on 0268 820999 or come along to the event.

We will also hold An Evening with Jamie and Llew on Friday, June 26 in Forbes.

This is an opportunity to meet myself and Llew O’Brien and have a chat about issues that are important to you.

An Evening with Jamie and Llew will be held at 5pm on Friday, June 26 at Sylo Forbes, 23 Ranking Street, Forbes.

Bland RSL Memorial Walk opens

It was an honour to attend the official opening of the Bland RSL Memorial Walk in West Wyalong.

This beautiful new space is a fitting tribute to the men and women from this region who have served our country, and to the sacrifice they and their families have made.

The Memorial Walk is a dignified place for remembrance and reflection and forms part of West Wyalong’s green corridor.

Congratulations to Bland Shire Council and the West Wyalong RSL Sub-Branch, who have worked with the community for more than three years to bring this project to life.

I’m pleased this project was supported through the Federal Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program. It is disappointing to hear this program will not continue, particularly when projects like this memorial provide so much value to the community.

Saying hello to Sacred Heart Boggabri

This month, I met the students at Sacred Heart Primary School at Boggabri, a small school with a great sense of community.

They had asked for a new Australian flag for the school and I presented them with a flag and two booklets with interesting facts about the flag and our national emblems.

Did you know the flag was first raised in 1901 after a national design competition that attracted more than 32,000 entries? There were five joint winners, including a 14-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne.

Thank you to Sacred Heart Primary School for welcoming me to the school and singing the national anthem.

The My First Speech Competition

If you had the parliament’s attention, what would you say?

Applications for the My First Speech Competition are open to schools in the Parkes electorate. This national competition welcomes students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to envision themselves as newly elected Members of the House of Representatives and write a 3-minute speech, focusing on a topic they’re passionate about.

One winner from each year group will receive an expenses-paid trip to Parliament House in Canberra, including flights and accommodation, and a prize pack valued at $250.

They will also present their speech to the Speaker and members live at Parliament House.

Entries to the My First Speech Competition close on 11.59pm AEST on Monday July 20, 2026.

Information and entry submission available HERE.

For further information and inquiries regarding the My First Speech competition, please contact my office: [email protected]

Have your say on what is most important to you

I want to hear from the people of the Parkes Electorate about the issues that are most affecting you. I also want to hear about what matters you would like to see raised in Federal Parliament.

Clink the link HERE to take the 30 second survey.

Congratulations to King’s Birthday Honours recipients

Congratulations to the members of the Parkes community who have been named in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours list

They are Juley Clarke, of Forbes, who has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to primary education. Mrs Clarke has been a teacher since 1988 and is the founder of the Forbes North Wiradjuri Choir, as well as the chief steward of the Forbes School Artwork Show Society; Susan Hood, of Dubbo, who has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to regional agricultural shows, and to youth. Mrs Hood has been a board member of the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW (AgShows NSW) since 2014, and a stalwart of the Dubbo Show Society, as well as being a foundation member of the Wongarbon Girl Guides Group and president and secretary of the Dubbo branch of the American Field Service; Susan Lyle, of Gunnedah, who has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of Gunnedah. Mrs Lyle has been president of the Gunnedah branch of the Red Cross since 2024, and a volunteer since 1984. She was the chairperson and a board member of Gunnedah Nursing Home between 1990 and 1997, and has been active in the Caroona Coal Action Group, including time as chair and facilitator; Michael Lynch, of Parkes, who has been recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of Parkes. Mr Lynch has been an important part of the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, the Parkes Prostate Cancer Support Group and the Parkes Veterans Golf Club. He was Parkes’ Citizen of the Year in 2021 and is a life member of the St Vincent de Paul Society; and Kenneth Harrison, of Dubbo, who has been recognised with a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to emergency response and management in NSW. Mr Harrison has dedicated more than 30 years of service in roles including director of Central West Orana and the Far West Regional Delivery Team at the NSW Reconstruction Authority. As the Regional Recovery Coordinator, he has contributed to recovery and response efforts across 22 declared natural disasters in the region over the past three years.

The recognition of these community members with a Medal of the Order of Australia shows just how much they have given to their community, and I congratulate them for their years of service and dedication.

Petition to stop the sale of ADF heritage sites

If you want to help stop Labor selling off 67 ADF heritage sites, you can sign a petition organised by the Shadow Minister of Defence Senator James Paterson.

More than 52,000 people have already signed this petition to stop Labor selling these pieces of our martial history.

Sign the petition to save our ADF heritage HERE.

Donate to the campaign to save our ADF heritage HERE.

Happy birthday

My wife Judy and I would like to wish a very special 100th birthday to Gladys Walford of Walgett, and Dorothy Tonkin of Narromine, and a happy 90th birthday to Patricia Jaegar, of Gunnedah.

Also, happy 60th wedding anniversary to Robert and Cheryl Storch, of Dubbo, and to Edward and Patricia Johnson, of Dubbo.

Commentary by Jamie Chaffey, Federal Member for Parkes