Ms Pearce believes legislative reform of the political donations system is needed before tackling other issues.

"Everything hinges on this [political donation reform]," she said.

Ms Pearce, who lives at Pindimar, near Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest, has most recently been working in aged care. She has taken a break to focus on the election campaign.

Her policies range from aged care to community consultation, disaster management, local textile production, international relations, waste, oil security and food security.

Ms Pearce said she had a solid background in understanding government legislation as well as having an understanding of what it was like on the ground in the aged care sector.

"I think people should vote for me because of my policies," she said.

When it comes to the housing crisis, for example, Ms Pearce said the real issue was supply.

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She supports building well-designed, practical and comfortable housing on a rent to buy scheme.

"We need affordable solutions," Ms Pearce said.

Ms Pearce said she supported emergency financial assistance to protect local newspapers and journalism jobs in regional Australia. Regional newspapers have been hit with a paper price increase of more than 80 per cent.

"I also support investigation into what we can do to look at long-term sustainability of regional news," she said.

There are eight candidates contesting the federal election in Lyne.

They are, in ballot paper order, Joanne Pearce, (Independent), Joel Putland (United Australia Party), David Gillespie, (National Party), Alexander Simpson (Labor Party), Steve Attkins (Independent), Mark Hornshaw (Liberal Democratic Party), Josephine Cashman, (Pauline Hanson's One Nation) and Karl Attenborough (Australian Greens).

Bonny Hills, Lake Cathie, Laurieton, North Haven, Comboyne and Wauchope are in the Lyne electorate. Port Macquarie is in the neighbouring Cowper electorate.