The candidates battling the heated seat of Eden-Monaro
The Big 3 candidates are now in place with Labor remaining favourite to take out what has now become a three-cornered contest for the controversial and prized political seat of Eden-Monaro on July 4.
NSW
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Labor remains the favourite to take out what has now become a three-cornered contest for the prized political seat of Eden-Monaro to take place on July 4.
The Coalition had two high-profile potential candidates – NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance for the Liberals and Nationals state leader, Deputy Premier John Barilaro in the running.
Then Mr Barilaro went to war with his own party, before he and Mr Constance took aim at each other. Both have pulled out.
Preference flows will be critical in deciding the winner after the by-election was triggered by the retirement of Labor MP Mike Kelly due to ill health.
LABOR
To explain politics to her young boys, the ALP’s candidate in the Eden-Monaro federal by-election likens it to sport with the aim being to score more than the other team and take the title.
Kristy McBain was one of those kids who wanted to be Prime Minister when she grew up. But she also fancied being Lois Lane.
So she did a degree in journalism, plus a lot of work experience, including in the Canberra press gallery. She studied law too, and it was the path she chose.
Then, in 2012, age 29, she ran for Bega Valley Shire council when it comprised eight men and one woman, all over 50.
“I didn’t think that was truly representative of the community,” she said. She was elected. At the time her kids were two and three months. She’s since added a third.
She is campaigning on issues including more local involvement in disaster recovery and better regional telecommunications services.
The ALP won Eden-Monaro by less than one per cent at the 2019 election.
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LIBERALS
Nonsensical laws that prevent residents in bushfire-prone areas from removing trees on their own properties must be scrapped, says an Eden-Monaro by-election candidate who narrowly avoided losing her own home last summer.
The Liberal Party’s Fiona Kotvojs decided to stay and defend her home in Dignams Creek, near Cobargo, over New Year’s Eve when the area was evacuated five times due to severe bushfires, and wants the community to learn from past mistakes as it rebuilds.
“We need to do more in terms of the way people build, and what’s around their homes,” she said.
“That’s going to involve changes in legislation and regulation. At a local council level, you’ve got people who were not allowed to remove trees around their home, and you have to … you can’t protect any home when it’s built right under trees.”
A NSW Rural Fire Service volunteer, Dr Kotvojs said she and her husband had the skills and knowledge to battle the blazes as they came within metres of the front and back doors of their farm home, but many did not.
“I went out and I door knocked all of the houses in Dignams Creek explaining the situation, recommending to everybody to evacuate if they weren’t able to defend their home,” she said. “We stayed to defend, once you’ve made the choice as to what you’re going to do you don’t change the plan because that’s when people die.”
When Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Cobargo over the summer he was accosted by angry and upset locals, several of whom refused to shake his hand, but Dr Kotvojs said the now-infamous scenes were during a time of “pain and hurt”.
“The PM arrived on the first day, as soon as the roads opened … he knew it was going to be tough,” she said.
“He knew he was coming to communities that were not ones that voted his way particularly. (But) he made a decision to come as soon as possible into a really tough situation.”
NATIONALS
Cattle farmer and Qeanbeyan-Palerang Deputy Mayor Trevor Hicks will take up the fight for the Nationals in the by-election after winning preselection to contest the marginal seat.
Mr Hicks defeated one other candidate to win preselection for the Nationals.
His platform will include seeking a southeast jobs package and a royal commission into the dairy industry.
On climate change, he will also argue for jobs to be put above “radical climate ideology”, especially when its comes to coal-fired power.
As for infrastructure, Mr Hicks will call for the Barton Highway and Dunns Creek Rd to be nominated as stimulus projects “to get jobs moving in Eden-Monaro”.
An avid hunter and fisher, Mr Hicks will also demand no further restrictions be placed on firearm owners who were sporting shooters or primary producers.
The cattle farmer and Queanbeyan-Palerang Deputy Mayor has some catching up to do, with Labor candidate Kristy McBain and the Liberals’ Fiona Kotvojs already campaigning heavily in the marginal seat.
BUNFIGHT OVERSHADOWS CANDIDATE UNVEILING
It was supposed to be a show of unity — Nationals leader Michael McCormack standing alongside his NSW counterpart John Barilaro to announce the newly preselected candidate for Eden-Monaro, cattle farmer and Qeanbeyan-Palerang Deputy Mayor Trevor Hicks.
However the press conference turned awkward, with Mr Barilaro grilled over the text messages he sent to the Deputy Prime Minister accusing Mr McCormack of failing to support him to as a potential candidate for the seat — a move that contributed to him choosing to remain in state politics.
The messages, leaked to the media, had declared: “To feel threatened by me clearly shows you have failed your team and failed as leader” and “You will never be acknowledged by me as our leader You aren’t. You never will be.”
Asked whether he stood by his criticisms, Mr Barilaro deflected the question.
“This isn’t about us, it’s actually about the people of Eden-Monaro,” he told reporters.
“I’m making no comment on that text message.”
Mr McCormack also refused to buy into the feud, stating that both were focused on helping the newly preselected candidate campaign.
“John and I know that we have got an outstanding candidate in Trevor Hicks,” he said.
“We’ll continue to work for the people of NSW and the people of regional Australia.
“That’s what we’ve always done, that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
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