Labor’s Eden-Monaro by-election candidate Kristy McBain in with a sporting chance

To explain politics to her young boys, the ALP’s candidate in the Eden-Monaro federal by-election uses an AFL analogy. But the Coalition’s own goals in the campaign make soccer seem more appropriate.

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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.

In Kristy McBain’s simile, the game is Aussie Rules. But with the Coalition’s multiple own goals this week, soccer seems more appropriate.

Speaking from Cooma this week, Ms McBain picked me up on the pronunciation of Monaro. I had said ‘ar’ as it sounds in the word ‘are’. Apparently that’s a big no-no. It’s ‘air’.

“You say it like that here and you’ll get hurt,” she joked, in the way locals do to outsiders.

Ms 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.

Ms McBain with husband Brad, daughter Ruby, 10, and sons Max, 7, and Jack, 5. Picture: Andrew Taylor

Ms McBain was mayor when the bushfires hit in December and January.

I asked her to recall her strongest memories from that period. One was the silence as she stood before 1000 people in a hall and then having to tell them to evacuate the town.

“That’s a lot of pressure to carry,” she said.

How she handled herself caught Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s attention. Once the crisis calmed, he sounded her out. She was interested. When the sitting member, Labor’s Mike Kelly, announced his resignation last month due to longstanding illness, she quickly committed.

While touring the electorate with Ms McBain this week, Mr Albanese called her a “champion advocate”.

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. Mr Albanese this week claimed Mr Kelly’s personal popularity was worth up to four per cent.

Mr Albanese and Ms McBain on the hustings. Picture: News Corp Australia

With Scott Morrison’s approval ratings soaring, the government began the contest in a position to snatch an Opposition seat in a by-election for the first time in 100 years.

The Coalition had the added advantage of at least two high-profile potential candidates – NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance for the Liberals and Nationals state leader, Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

Then Mr Barilaro went to war with his own party, before he and Mr Constance took aim at each other. Both have pulled out.

Federal Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud on Friday said the Coalition “deserves an uppercut” over its behaviour.

The Liberals and Nationals are yet to pick candidates. The Liberal frontrunner is Fiona Kotvojs, who narrowly lost to Mr Kelly last year.

Ms McBain can no longer be characterised as the underdog.