Shooters party’s Trump-style approach Nationals seen as city-centric as Shooters aim to do a Trump

DISILLUSIONMENT with major parties could spur a historic shift at the NSW local government elections next weekend with the Shooters party fielding candidates for the first time.

The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party is counting on a big angry white male local council vote.

• There are boring candidates and then there are these folks

ANGRY white males disillusioned with the mainstream politics are set to give the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party its first shot at entering local government next weekend, with candidates in both the city and the bush.

Buoyed by its shock Orange State by-election victory against the Nationals last year, the party which advocates a repeal of John Howard’s “draconian gun laws”, firearm safety training as an elective school subject and the return of fireworks will for the first time stand candidates at the council elections this Saturday.

The by-election revealed a shift away from the Nationals, with party figures noting a men making up a key group of disaffected voters seeking “other” parties as alternatives.

A how-to-vote card for Dungog candidate John Preston.

The Shooters, who have captured the anti-council amalgamation and pro-greyhound vote, have also benefited from farmers concerned about coal seam gas.

In an unprecedented move, the party will stand two candidates in Randwick, one in Dungog and six in Orange.

Describing the move into local government as a logical next step, State director Filip Despotoski said it was a sign of the party becoming “more mature”.

“We feel as though there is a flavour in the electorate for our party,” he said.

“Major issues have been greyhounds, forced amalgamations, water and private property rights. We are the viable alternative.”

Trump-style anti-establishment feeling remains strong in Orange.

In Randwick, the party is looking to capitalise on both the high number of anglers located along the central Sydney coastline — although even including “Fishers “ in the party name is controversial among recreational fishers, with many disavowing its conservatism and policies — as well as members from the ANZAC Rifle Range at Malabar.

While opinions polls had shown men to be shifting away from the Nationals, Mr Despotoski said “older female mothers” were also behind support for the Shooters, urging their male partners to make the change.

Trump-style anti-establishment feeling remains strong in Orange, where an unprecedented 88 candidates have been listed on a tablecloth-sized ballot paper.

Boxer-turned-electrician Sam Romano, who defected from the National Party five years ago, leads the first group of Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party members to run for the council.

“I can’t think of one infrastructure program that the National Party have funded, yet they have been getting re-elected for almost 70 years,” said the 59-year-old grandfather of eight.

“There is a shift away from the Nationals, and the Shooters are filling that void.”

Orange City Council deputy mayor Jason Hamling said last year’s by-election changed everything.

“There was a change here in Orange and part of it was the Trump effect,” he said.

Political strategist Pete Lewis said the Shooters — a party that last year added “Farmers” to its title — were filling a void that Nationals had left in key policy areas.

“The Nationals are burdened by the Coalition government, with its spending in cities as opposed to regional areas and privatisation,” he said.

“The situation is complicated by the strange alliance between environmentalists and farmers over coal seam gas.

“There is a shift away from the Nationals, and the Shooters are filling that void.”

Forty-six councils will go to the polls, of which 20 are newly amalgamated councils with many attracting record numbers of candidates.

While the amalgamations were marketed as a chance for “fresh ideas” and “fresh faces”, many candidates have links to the councils they are hoping to enter.

Cumberland Council Liberal candidate Tom Zreika is the brother-in-law of former property developer Auburn Mayor Ronney Oueik, who was on council with the then deputy Salim Mehajer when it was investigated by the NSW government’s Auburn City Council Public Inquiry.

Mr Zreika, a lawyer, represented his brother in law at that inquiry, which made no adverse findings against Mr Oueik.

Former Liberal immigration minister Philip Ruddock is almost a certainty to become the mayor of Hornsby after representing the area for more than 40 years.

Over in Canterbury, William Vasiliades is hoping to follow his weightlifting brother Con on the controversial council.

In June, the council was the subject of searches by NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), triggering speculation it is the subject of an investigation.

In a move that State opposition local governments spokesman Peter Primrose declared as “unfair”, five government appointed administrators are vying to become a mayor or councillor.

“They have been appointed by the government, been given government money to hand out to communities, had their faces in the local paper for 18 months doing as much, and now they have an unfair advantage when it comes to running for council,” he said.

Other colourful candidates include the Greens erotic fiction writer and poet Lou Steer, who is running for Inner West Council and Liberal celebrity cosmetic surgeon Ron Bezic, who is vying for a spot on Bayside Council.

COUNCILS HOLDING ELECTIONS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

1. Armidale Regional Council (formerly Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra)

2. Bathurst Regional Council

3. Bayside Council (formerly Rockdale and Botany Bay)

4. Blayney Shire Council

5. Burwood Council

6. Cabonne Shire Council

7. Canada Bay Council

8. Canterbury-Bankstown Council (formerly Bankstown and Canterbury)

9. Central Coast Council (formerly Gosford and Wyong)

10. Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (formerly Cootamundra and Gundagai)

11. Cumberland Council (comprising part of the former Parramatta, Auburn and Holroyd councils)

12. Dubbo Regional Council (formerly Dubbo and Wellington)

13. Dungog Shire Council

14. Edward River Council (formerly Conargo and Deniliquin)

15. Federation Council (former Corowa and Urana)

16. Georges River Council (formerly Hurstville and Kogarah)

17. Hills Shire Council

18. Hilltops Council (formerly Boorowa, Harden and Young)

19. Hornsby Shire Council

20. Hunters Hill Council

21. Inner West Council (formerly Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville)

22. Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council

23. Lane Cove Municipal Council

24. Maitland City Council

25. Mid-Coast Councils (formerly Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree)

26. Mosman Municipal Council

27. Murray River Council (formerly Murray and Wakool)

28. Murrumbidgee Council (formerly Jerilderie and Murrumbidgee)

29. Newcastle City Council

30. North Sydney Council

31. Northern Beaches Council (formerly Manly, Pittwater and Warringah)

32. Oberon Council

33. Orange City Council

34. Parramatta Council, City of (comprising parts of the former Parramatta, The Hills, Auburn, Holroyd and Hornsby)

35. Port Stephens Council

36. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (formerly Palerang and Queanbeyan)

37. Randwick City Council

38. Ryde City Council

39. Shellharbour City Council

40. Snowy Monaro Regional Council (formerly Bombala, Cooma-Monaro Shire and Snowy River)

41. Snowy Valleys Council (formerly Tumbarumba and Tumut)

42. Strathfield Municipal Council

43. Waverley Council

44. Willoughby City Council

45. Wollongong City Council

46. Woollahra Municipal Council