Eden Monaro by-election: Nationals to pit Libs v Nats

The Nationals have this morning opened nominations for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro in a shock move that now pits the party against the Liberals in a three-cornered contest.

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The Nationals have this morning opened nominations for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro in a shock move that now pits the party against the Liberals in a three-cornered contest.

Despite Nationals leader Michael McCormack saying the party would run a candidate, there had been talk recently that the party would not.

It is understood Mr McCormack told a party room meeting this week he would leave it up to the branches.

“I will support what the party members decide to do and I have never wavered from this,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack’s Nationals will run a candidate in the Eden Monaro by-election.

The decision to open nominations was driven by the local members, who sought permission from the NSW Nationals executive on Thursday night.

The by-election is to be held on July 4 following the resignation of Labor’s Mike Kelly due to health reasons.

The preselection news follows weeks of uncertainty around the seat after NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance were tipped as frontrunners.

Mr Barilaro, a National, ended up withdrawing after claiming he wanted to focus on helping NSW recover from a horror summer of bushfires as well as the COVID-19 economic crisis.

Andrew Constance bowed out of the Eden Monaro race.

John Barilaro declined to run for Eden Monaro.

Mr Constance, a Liberal, said he didn’t want to run against Mr Barilaro but withdrew entirely from consideration after being the focus of an expletive-laden text message from the NSW Deputy Premier.

Mr Barilaro refused to comment four times earlier this month on whether he disparagingly called Mr Constance an unpublishable expletive starting with C.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who slammed his party for having “botched” the campaign after Mr Barilaro and Mr Constance both pulled out of the contest, said he welcomed the decision to contest the seat.

Mr Joyce, who has strong connections to the region through his mother’s side of the family, said he would also be happy to help out once a candidate was chosen.

“I’m looking forward to campaigning if required,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

Originally published as Eden Monaro by-election: Nationals to pit Libs v Nats