Coffs MP queries teal independents appeal at state-level
The success of the teal independents at the federal election can’t be used as a yardstick for next year’s NSW vote, explains Coffs MP Gurmesh Singh.
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Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh hasn’t discounted a challenge from the fledgling teal independents movement at the 2023 NSW election, but says the issues the newcomers ran on in the federal campaign are not so much in play at state level.
The Climate 200-backed teals secured a swag of lower house seats, while locally in the federal electorate of Cowper, Caz Heise pushed but came up short of toppling first-term Nationals MP Pat Conaghan.
Mr Singh, who won Coffs Harbour for the Nats at the 2019 state election, said he took some take-outs from the federal vote which saw a change in government as an Athony Albanese-led Labor team secured treasury.
“I think there was a small protest vote against (former prime minister) Scott Morrison personally - I heard that feedback on the booths,” Mr Singh said.
While pleased to see the return of local Nationals Mr Conaghan and Kevin Hogan (Page), Mr Singh cautioned reading too much into the Cowper result where Mr Conaghan secured 52.74 per cent of the vote on preferences to fend off teal independent Ms Heise 47.26 per cent.
“Cowper has always been relatively marginal and we’ve seen tighter margins in the past,” he said.
He said there was an irony in that the teals, campaigning heavily on climate, stood in Coalition seats held by people on-board with action on that front.
“They ran against the most moderate people in the parliament,” Mr Singh said.
“We’ve always had independents in politics but I think people are seeing the teals, the teal party, for what they are, and that’s a very loosely-based party,” he said.
“The issues at a state and Commonwealth level are very different.
“To give it a bit of context they ran on climate and integrity and we (in NSW) have an integrity commission in ICAC and more ambitious climate targets.
“Most of the issues they ran on in the federal campaign are not issues at the state level.”
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