Andrew Constance pulls out of Eden-Monaro preselection
Transport Minister Andrew Constance says he forgives Deputy Premier John Barilaro, despite Mr Barilaro using a disparaging word to describe him.
NSW
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Learning his close friend John Barilaro had called him a “c...’’ during a private exchange with a fellow MP was cited by Andrew Constance on Wednesday as a key part of his stunning decision to quit the race for the Federal seat of Eden-Monaro.
Mr Constance said he had serious concerns about internal “white-anting” and Coalition disunity as he announced his about-face on contesting the by-election.
He specifically pointed to learning the Deputy Premier had called him a “c...” — as revealed by The Daily Telegraph — as a key factor in his decision.
“It’s important there is Coalition unity to contest this by-election,” Mr Constance said, adding he believed it could still win the contest.
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Of the slur by Mr Barilaro, he said “I forgive him”, adding he knew his friend “didn’t mean it”, but said the “smear” had influenced his decision to pull out of the race.
“That type of white-anting doesn’t stop with that front page, it goes on and on so let’s be real, you can’t sort of front up and hand on heart say everything’s OK,” he said.
Mr Constance bowed out less than 24 hours after announcing his intention to seek preselection in the seat.
That came just a day after Mr Barilaro himself bowed out, citing family reasons.
The Deputy Premier yesterday also ruled out re-entering the race, saying “my decision was not made on the proviso if Andrew was running or not, so my personal position stands. Nothing has changed. I’m not running.”
Some coalition sources believe Mr Constance faced an uphill battle with local preselectors to secure the nomination, with branches wanting to avoid a “captain’s pick’’ for the seat.
However, one moderate powerbroker disputed this, saying Mr Constance’s profile soared during the bushfires to national fame and he would be “hard to beat at anything”.
Many of Mr Constance’s colleagues were stunned by his decision to withdraw from the race, and in particular by his reaction to the revelation that Mr Barilaro had used a crass word to describe him.
A member of the party’s state executive said: “You can’t get to his position as a senior minister without having a pretty thick skin, only to withdraw over being called a nasty word, or a leak.”
Senior Coalition figures and local branch members are furious at both Mr Constance and Mr Barilaro over the circus, which they fear has given Labor a major boost in the poll.
The Coalition was hoping to use one of their star NSW political candidates to do the unthinkable — seize an opposition seat at a by-election for the first time in 100 years. But the tussling for the seat has hurt their chances, senior figures fear.
Mr Barilaro had used the expletive to describe Mr Constance to a fellow parliamentary colleague in the days before the Deputy Premier himself dropped out of the race.
The remark was made after Mr Barilaro learned Mr Constance had spoken to members of the NSW Liberal State executive urging a thorough examination of a three cornered contest — something Mr Barilaro did not want.
The pair repeatedly said publicly they were close friends and would not run against each other. Mr Constance said yesterday he would not let the remark come between them being mates but “it’s pretty poor … absolutely disappointing”.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet was able to laugh off the turmoil, saying: “I think there are always colourful depictions in politics. Political parties are like families and you sometimes disagree with each other. But what’s the problem with a bit of colour?”
“Bara is obviously disappointed. He’s a passionate guy. You should see the texts he sends me when he wants extra funding for regional NSW. That’s why he gets his way.”
Federal Nationals Minister David Littleproud offered support to Mr Barilaro saying he was a “talent” and the Federal Party room would “love to have him”.
He also urged his colleagues to brush off the drama, including Mr Barilaro’s strongly worded text to Federal Leader Michael McCormack, who he partly blamed for his own decision not to run.
“When you come to Canberra you expect a couple of uppercuts, and you shake it off and shake hands and have a beer together in the Nats,” he said.
“And that’s probably what will happen with Bara and the rest of us. I don’t think there’s any ill-feeling, they’ll linger on, I think we’re all mature enough. And that’s the good thing about the Nats. You have a spit and shake hands and get on with the job.”
It is understood as many as four or five people now intend to put their name forward for preselection for the seat.
Multiple sources raised Fiona Kotvojs as a potential candidate for the by-election.
Ms Kotvojs, who ran in the 2019 federal election, lost to Labor’s Mike Kelly by little more than 1600 votes — or 2.1 per cent.
Originally published as Andrew Constance pulls out of Eden-Monaro preselection
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