The National Party MP clocks up about 50,000 kilometres a year travelling across the Lyne electorate. His ministerial responsibilities take him to every state.

"I take my job very seriously, it is a great honour," Dr Gillespie said.

"I worked 60 and 70 hour weeks as a doctor and it's probably about the same as a politician."

Dr Gillespie is among eight candidates contesting the seat of Lyne in the May 21 federal election.

Dr Gillespie said in his time as Lyne MP, there had been some amazing reforms including tax reduction for small business, childcare reforms and the government had expanded rural and regional medical education and training.

He said the Dairy Code of Conduct gave farmers the ability to manage the risks of pricing.

"We have a huge dairy industry in the Manning, in the Hastings and down into the Hunter and that [Dairy Code of Conduct] will be a long-lasting benefit for all those dairy producers," Dr Gillespie said.

Among his achievements for Lyne, the MP cites major road improvements on The Bucketts Way, a main road through the Gloucester region, and Clarence Town Road in the Hunter, federal investment for radiotherapy at Maitland and Taree and funding to upgrade Newcastle Airport into a "true international airport".

The list also includes $5.5 million for a 25-year occupancy of the former MidCoast Council chambers as the long-term home of Taree Universities Campus, stage two funding for First Steps Count Child and Community Centre in Taree and a $20 million investment towards the Lorne Road upgrade.

The "never-ending" burden of road repairs is among the issues facing the Lyne electorate, he said.

Dr Gillespie said the federal government had policies for councils which increased their funds exponentially, it brought forward the Financial Assistance Grant Program and created programs specifically for roads.

Housing affordability is another issue being felt across the electorate.

Dr Gillespie said the federal government had initiatives to help first home buyers break out of the rental cycle.

"You have lots of people in these country areas who are always in the rent trap, and renting is hard to get, so building your own home is a way out of that," he said.

If re-elected, Dr Gillespie is looking forward to seeing the completion of Figtrees on the Manning, a mixed-use development at Taree, while he also wants to secure a navigable entry channel for the Manning River.

Other issues on his radar include more doctors in rural Australia, better access to GPs and making general practice more sustainable, increased opportunity for the dairy and cattle industry and a boost in the numbers of skilled trades workers.

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