Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor is riding more than 1000 km on the pollie pedal this week to raise funds for Carer’s Australia.

Stopping in Tamworth yesterday - en route from Moree to Penrith in western Sydney - Mr Taylor said the riders were joined by Agriculture Minster Barnaby Joyce.

“Despite the perception it’s all flat out around Moree, we discovered a few good hills. Barnaby joined us for half of yesterday and he really discovered the hills. We were in his electorate for a while and I tell you he’s a determined sort, he kept going, he made it.

“It’d be a tough ride if you didn’t ride all the time. We’re doing about 150km a day – about 160km yesterday and about 130km today. Usually the local MPs join us for a bit of the sections that are in their electorate. The second last day is from Mudgee to Katoomba and of course the run up to Katoomba, it’s a pretty solid ride. It’s 186km and we’re hoping the Prime Minister will be back with us by then.

“We’re raising money for Carers Australia this year which is a great cause and this is to thank the 2.7million carers across the country who do such a wonderful job.

“A lot of us are getting out to towns that we haven’t spent a lot of time in. It’s outside my electorate this year, so it’s fantastic to be out. We have receptions in most of the towns we go to and we get to talk to the locals and see what’s going on on the ground,” Mr Taylor said.

Since its inception in 1988, the Pollie Pedal has raised more than $3 million to benefit charities. For more information and to donate to this year’s event, please visit: www.carersaustralia.com.au

Caption: Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor (second from right) was joined on yesterday’s leg of the pollie pedal by (from left) Luke Hartsyker ( MP for Cowper), Minister for Social Services and Member for Menzies Kevin Andrews, Agriculture Minister and New England MP Barnaby Joyce and David Gillespie (MP for Lyne) at Manilla's Rotary Park about to pedal to Tamworth. Photo: Barry Smith, Northern Daily Leader Tamworth.