Shooters Fishers and Farmers seize vital agricultural area from National Party
The Nationals’ disaster in the bush has seen the once powerful regional party lose control of a vital area that supports the bulk of the state’s agricultural production; the SFF eye six federal seats and call for Royal Commission; Premier to oversee selection of departmental heads; and, more. ELECTION WRAP
The scale of the Nationals’ disaster in the bush has been laid bare, with the once powerful regional party losing control of a vital agricultural area that dwarfs the size of Germany.
Thousands of NSW farmers revolted against the National Party on Saturday to put the fate of their drought-hit crops and livestock in the hands of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. In less than three years, the Nationals have lost control of more than 476,000 km2 of NSW, an area that supports the bulk of the state’s agricultural production.
Hundreds of sheep and beef graziers, dairy producers and irrigators lodged a mass protest vote in the historically safe Nationals seats of Barwon, Murray and Orange, where swings of between 20 and 37 per cent towards the Shooters were recorded.
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Shooters candidates Roy Butler in Barwon and Helen Dalton in Murray, followed in the footsteps of their party colleague, Orange MP Philip Donato, who won the seat away from the Nationals in a 2016 by-election.
Mr Butler alone now represents about 13 per cent of NSW’s agricultural production, including more than 1000 sheep farmers and 1000 beef cattle farmers, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
The vegetarian father-of-three said the result in Barwon — a 20.5 per cent swing to the Shooters — was because the Nationals “failed to listen” to dire warnings from locals about poor water management in the bush.
“We’ve developed a 10-point strategy with graziers, irrigators, scientists and the communities to develop a holistic approach to managing water in the Murray Darling Basin and it’s been received really well,” he said.
And Mr Butler said it was not just farmers flocking to the party.
“It’s the townsfolk who have swung in behind us as well, look at Broken Hill, it’s a town of 18,000 people and traditionally a very strong Labor town because of the mining background and we’ve gained huge support,” he said.
That backing was also reflected in Orange, where gold ore mining is one of the top employing industries, and Shooters MP Mr Donato received a 37.2 per cent swing towards him.
Federal Nationals minister Darren Chester blamed the drought for the swings against his party in regional NSW.
Pictures of mass fish kills in the Menindee sent shockwaves around the state but Mr Butler said the water management issues went beyond this.
“The neglect of regional NSW and decline has been happening for years,” he said.
“Twenty years ago I wouldn’t have bothered running because someone standing was doing a good job, but if no one is talking about water or CSG in Sydney, which is why the communities are angry, then someone else has to.”
Gladys’ may boot incumbent members from cabinet
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has not ruled out booting incumbent members from her cabinet as she looks to create a team that can get the job done.
The newly elected Premier said creating the cabinet will be her biggest stress this week.
“I think when you’re putting together a new cabinet you need a mix of experience and new blood as well, and that is the balance I hope to strike,” she told 2GB.
“You want experienced heads around the table but you want new blood who have the energy, enthusiasm and different insights as well.
“I’m spoilt for choice, I’ve got a very strong team of people to choose and that will be my biggest stress this week, putting together my best team and putting my best foot forward.”
The cabinet reshuffle comes after two MPs announced they would leave.
Her former deputy Nial Blair has retired from the ministry and will immediately leave parliament.
Minister for Mental Health Tanya Davies said yesterday she did not wish to be considered for a role in the cabinet as she wants to spend more time with her young children.
SFF may run for six seats in federal election
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) is threatening to run in up to six seats in the May federal election, creating a further headache for the Morrison government.
NSW legislative councillor and SFF leader Robert Borsak said several potential candidates had come forward for the federal seat of Calare.
Mr Borsak also singled out that northwest seat of Parkes as being in his party’s sights after it won the previously safe Nationals seat of Barwon in Saturday’s state election.
The SFF plans to meet later this week to work out a game plan for the federal election, which would also include a senate ticket and possibly other seats where there had been strong support over the weekend.
While it would be tough for the SFF to win federal seats even if the state results were replicated, the risk the party poses would be enough to divert much-needed resources into the otherwise safe Coalition seats away from marginal campaigns.
Mr Borsak talked down the party’s chances of winning any seats but said that it would cause the government “some headaches”. “This will be more an exercise in dipping our toe in the water, I’m not convinced we’ll win,” he said.
Nationals MP Andrew Gee, who holds Calare on an 11.8 per cent margin, was upbeat about the federal election despite the state result.
“I think it remains to be seen how strong the Shooters’ brand is federally, but we won’t be taking anything for granted in Calare,” he said.
The SFF officially snared Barwon on Monday, which makes up about half of Morrison government assistant minister Mark Coulton’s seat of Parkes.
But the SFF recorded a soft vote in Dubbo and the Northern Tablelands which, if replicated at the federal election, would save Mr Coulton.
However, Liberal federal MP Sussan Ley was shaken by the SFF winning in Murray, which accounts for about half the voters in her federal electorate of Farrer.
— Sheradyn Holderhead
The battle to be Barilaro’s deputy leader
The NSW Nationals may appoint a new deputy leader as soon as Wednesday while another Coalition cabinet member has announced they do not want to be a minister again.
Liberal MP and Minister for Mental Health, Women and Ageing Tanya Davies said on Monday she did not want to be considered for a position in the new cabinet because of family reasons.
“I came to the role with my newborn son, Harry, and my nine-year-old daughter, Laura. At this time in my life I have decided I need to spend more time with my family,” she said.
It comes after Nationals’ Niall Blair quit the deputy leadership and his ministerial role to move to the backbench before he quits parliament.
The reshuffle of the Coalition’s cabinet will be determined after the Nationals appoint a new deputy with a party room meeting expected to be held Wednesday or Thursday.
Bathurst MP Paul Toole is the frontrunner to be John Barilaro’s deputy, while Oxley MP Melinda Pavey will also run. Sarah Mitchell is expected to be the Nationals leader in the Upper House.
— Rose Brennan
Premier to oversee selection of department bosses
Premier Gladys Berejiklian will stamp her authority on the new structure of government by closely overseeing the selection of department bosses through her head public servant.
While the fate of senior government executives largely depends on a cabinet reshuffle, Ms Berejiklian will be exercising more control over who runs departments through her hand-picked Department of Premier and Cabinet Secretary, Tim Reardon.
Mr Reardon is the highest paid government executive, earning $629,100 each year plus an additional 12 per cent bonus worth $75,500.
A Liberal source said: “(Gladys) inherited stuff but now she will have the opportunity to stamp her own view on the structure of government … to set the future direction in a way that she wants”.
Department of Planning and Environment Secretary Carolyn McNally is one senior bureaucrat who has been tipped to switch portfolios if Planning Minister Anthony Roberts is dumped or shafted from the portfolio.
A senior government source said there was a view she was “not well regarded” by the Premier for taking too long to solve problems around overdevelopment in Ryde.
“I think the Premier is going to be exerting a lot more control than she previously has and … (she) has been enormously frustrated with Carolyn McNally,” the source said.
Ms McNally has previously worked with Ms Berejiklian as head of planning in Transport for NSW, where she was held in high regard.
She earns $533,050 a year plus a “discretionary” bonus of $64,000.
It’s further understood Department of Justice Secretary Andrew Cappie-Wood, who earns $566,550 a year, could also move on.
The government source also said they anticipated there would be a push to move on secretaries with ties to Labor.
Department of Family and Community Services Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter is married to deputy ALP leader Tanya Plibersek.
He declined to comment on whether he would remain in the position.
Deputy Secretary for Planning Services Marcus Ray has worked under both Liberal and Labor governments.
A Planning spokesman said the department would not comment on “rumours”.
Rodd Staples is expected to remain as secretary of Transport for NSW, as is Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Secretary Mark Hoffman.
It’s also understood Elizabeth Koff will keep her position as Ministry of Health Secretary if Brad Hazzard remains the Health Minister while Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Secretary Martin Hoffman is also expected to remain.
— Danielle Le Messurier
Premier pledges to tackle suicide rate
Reducing the shocking rate of suicide in NSW is the first of several critical social issues Premier Gladys Berejiklian has vowed to address.
“I think our government has done so much in the areas of supporting children in out of home care, reducing homelessness and in dealing with domestic violence,” Ms Berejiklian said. “The suicide rate in NSW bothers me, the fact that more lives are lost in NSW than road deaths.”
The number of lives lost to suicide in NSW was 880 in 2017 — more than double the state’s road toll, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
It is the leading cause of death in people aged 15-44. The rate of suicide in rural and regional Australia is twice that of metro areas.
Reducing the suicide rate was one of the first issues Ms Berejiklian identified as an issue she would like to target when she became Liberal leader.
And at the launch of the Nationals’ state campaign, party leader John Barilaro said he wanted to appoint a minister for regional youth to tackle the high rates of drug dependency and suicide in country areas.
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— Clare Armstrong
SFF Party wants Royal Commission into water allocation
A State Royal Commission should be called into the allocation of water in the state’s drought affected far west, say the Shooters Party.
And buoyed by their historic win snatching heartland National Party seats in the state’s far west, the Shooters Fishers and Farmers have vowed not to deal with the Coalition unless the government “fixes” water policy.
NSW needs to rip up the Murray Darling Basin Plan, and start it again to get a better deal for farmers according to Shooters Party leader Robert Borsak.
Water rights have been a red hot issue among voters in Murray and Barwon, with many complaining the National Party has turned a deaf ear on the subject.
The catastrophic death of at least a million of fish in Menindee, in the far west, helped elevate the issue, with SFF candidates campaigning on a platform of changing the controversial Murray Darling Basin plan.
Under the plan, signed by former PM Julia Gillard in 2012, 2750 giga litres of water have to be taken from irrigated agriculture and returned to the river system, alongside complex rules about water allocation to farmers.
“We called on the Murray Darling Basin Authority to be moved from their ivory tower in Canberra to Griffith so they can see first hand how they are damaging rural communities,” Mr Borsak said.
“We also want a State Royal Commission.”
He said the government should halt on removing the 450 gigalitres of “upwater” from Basin communities until the findings of any Royal Commission were released.
Fifth generation beef and cattle farmer Matt Ireson, who owns a property near Hay, said the allocations of stock and domestic water in the Murrumbidgee area had been a major issue in recent years.
“We’re in a drought and we’re flat out feeding stock,” he said.
“We used to have a good system for water allocation. But now we don’t have enough water to maintain our ground tanks for our livestock. I’ve got calves coming and we are running out of water.
“Family farmers like ourselves are losing control of our property right to stock and domestic water, too big business and government programs.
— Clarissa Bye
Press Council Adjudication
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