Graham Brown is entering politics for the first time by running for Family First in the seat of Gilmore because he wants to help fellow small business owners and represent the majority of constituents rather than a vocal minority.

The Moruya businessman is the managing director of Euro Civil, a company he started with his wife Julie a quarter of a century ago that installs safety barriers.

He will go up against Labor incumbent Fiona Phillps, Liberal veteran Andrew Constance, Community Independent Kate Dezarnaulds and The Greens’ candidate Debbie Killian in the battle for Gilmore in the May 3 federal election.

Brown said he decided to throw his hat into the ring because he believes Family First’s policies on a range of topics, including housing, immigration and support for small business.

“I'm standing because I love this country,” he said.

“I've had both sides of working on the farm and also working in the civil industry and you see a lot of stuff going on and I see that the frustration with the cost of living, the power prices going up when we were promised a reduction in power bills.

“I'm very passionate about seeing the government being held accountable to and coming back to the core basics of what they stand for.

“They're quick to throw money around to try and get people to vote for them but they're missing a lot of the main points.”

“I guess I'm representing the underdog in a lot of ways, the people that own small businesses and don't get too much say in politics.

“They've got to sit back and put up with what's thrown at them and by people that have never experienced life in the real world.

“I left school at 15, worked on the farm and started my own business in between milkings, running mobile discos at night time and fencing contracting in the day.

“Through hard work and determination I’ve given the customers what they want and that is what I stand for and I think that can apply to politics.

“Giving people what they want without leaning towards a minority.

“Basically, I just want to see the right thing done by this country. There are a lot of decisions that are being made that aren't in the country's interest. They might be in the minority's interest but not in the whole country's interest.”

Brown’s view is that families are spending too much time working extra hours to cover for the rising cost of living, which is having flow-on effects.

“Family values is the biggest thing that I'm all for,” he added.

“I see mums and dads working hard, their families are left in daycares and the mums and dads are working on separate jobs and there's no family life.

“We're living in a world now where we're paying high interest rates and the families have just got to spend their time working and not spending family time.

“They're missing out on a lot of the family values and they don't get too much say. The schools tend to be helping to raise the kids instead of the parents because they're either in daycare or they're in schools and the parents get home at night.

“It's causing a lot of issues with juvenile crime going through the roof. A lot of it's because they're not spending enough time with their parents and not getting that proper upbringing.

“I think it's because the parents are too busy trying to pay the bills and the kids are left without proper parenting.”

Small businesses are doing it tough because of the extra costs imposed, Brown added.

“I was talking to a fella the other day who wants to start his own business but he said he just felt like every time he wanted to get going he had red tape and he's banging his head against the wall trying to get going.

“Once upon a time it was just so easy to be able to. There were lots of incentives to get started but now it's like everything's against you.

“You put in a tender for a contract that lasts five years and you’re not expecting the power prices to go through the roof and the costs of labour to go up.

“It's sending a lot of small businesses broke because of the extra costs involved.”