Australian Conservatives Senate candidate Rikki Lambert has urged regional communities to "vote strategically" at the May 18 election to ensure greater country-based upper house representation.
The former lawyer is one of 24 candidates seeking election to South Australia's six vacant Senate positions as the May polls as the social and economically conservative party's lead candidate.
Mr Lambert said the party, which was formed out by former Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi, sought to provide a credible alternative to disillusioned, conservative voters.
"A lot of conservative voting people who may have voted Liberal all the time know if they search the history over the last 10 years, they know the party has cut itself adrift from its conservative roots and they want a conservative government," he said.
"The Senate is a legislative house of review and we need competent legislators in there," Mr Lambert said regional representation was imperative to advocate for the protection of rural and regional industries and country hospitals and roads.
"Aside from Anne Ruston, who comes from the same place as I do in the Riverland, there are no candidates that come from regional South Australia," he said.
"South Australia has 12 seats and people need to vote strategically in the regions to vote for someone who will give them a voice," Mr Lambert said the Federal Government's recent funding windfall was "just a scratch of what the state needs" and supported the construction of a dual carriageway throughout portions of the Limestone Coast to improve traffic safety.
"When you have got so much truck freight here, it is important to have those dual lane carriageways," Mr Lambert said.
"Like it or not, freight is not going to be separate from passengers on the road for a long time. If anything, trucks are going to lose their drivers and be autonomous on the road, so you are going to need those dual lanes. Although they do go a little way out of Mount Gambier, they need to go further," he said.
