Nats reveal Eden-Monaro preselection candidates
Four eclectic country candidates have put their hands up to battle for the chance to secure Eden-Monaro for The Nationals Party after NSW deputy premier John Barilaro bowed out of the race.
NSW
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Four eclectic country candidates will battle for the chance to secure Eden-Monaro for The Nationals Party after NSW deputy premier John Barilaro bowed out of the race.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Queanbeyan-Palerang Deputy Mayor Trevor Hicks, owner of Australian Landscape Conference Fleur Flanery, dietitian and former council candidate Mareeta Grundy and Nimmitabel farmer Michael Green have all put their hands up ahead of a preselection ballot on Saturday evening.
The Nationals Party will formally announce the successful candidate on Sunday, when it is expected Mr Barilaro will appear to support the winner.
It is hoped Mr Barilaro’s blessing will help boost the party’s chances in the race, given his own state seat partly covers the same area.
The NSW Nationals leader and deputy premier sensationally decided not to contest Eden-Monaro last month, despite claiming polling showed he could wrestle the seat from Labor.
Mr Barilaro partly blamed the lack of support from Nationals federal leader Michael McCormack for his aborted tilt at the seat.
He unleashed on the deputy prime minister in a series of scathing text messages, accusing Mr McCormack of feeling threatened.
It is not yet known if Mr McCormack will appear at the launch of the Eden-Monaro candidate on Sunday.
Preference flows are expected to have a critical impact on the by-election result, with a Melbourne Cup field including a Labor, Liberal, Greens, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers and now Nationals member seeking to replace retiring Labor MP Mike Kelly at the July 4 poll.
Each of the four Nationals options are locals to the inland and heavily agricultural areas of Eden-Monaro, a vast electorate that stretches from the ACT border to the NSW south coast.
A Bywong resident for more than two decades, Ms Grundy has connections with small business in Queanbeyan, previously ran for the local council and was once dietitian to NRL star Mal Meninga.
Ms Flanery is a horticulturalist and keen gardener at her property in Yass, outside Canberra, a former ACT public servant, she has represented Australia twice at the World Mountain Marathon Championships.
Mr Hicks was elected deputy mayor of the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council in 2017.
A Captains Flat local, with a small business in Queanbeyan, Mr Hicks stood on Palerang council from 2012 until the amalgamation.
Mr Green has a farm at Nimmitabel and is chair of the NSW Farmers Association’s Cooma branch.