Dr Warwick Yonge announced as independent candidate for Port Macquarie by-election

A doctor who failed to be endorsed by the Nationals has announced he will contest the Port Macquarie by-election as an independent.

A doctor who failed to be endorsed by the Nationals has criticised the Coalition parties for “wasting money” on the Port Macquarie by-election while declaring he will contest the race as an independent.

Dr Warwick Yonge told The Saturday Telegraph the Liberals and Nationals are squandering time and cash fighting against each other instead of fixing local problems – which he would do if elected on March 15.

The comments come after Mr Yonge was dropped by the NSW National Party only four days after he was preselected to contest the seat, following Liberal Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams’ resignation last month.

“This by-election, caused by the Liberal Party, is a waste of money,” Mr Yonge said.

“Why are the Liberal and National parties wasting time and money competing for Port Macquarie? Shouldn’t they be working together to defeat the Labor government?

Warwick Yonge will contest the Port Macquarie by-election as an independent candidate.

“It is difficult to take the National Party seriously in this by-election, they are taking the Port Macquarie electorate for granted and they should be replaced by a competent independent.”

Mr Yonge has been a GP in Port Macquarie since 2014 and previously worked as an emergency retrieval doctor for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Former Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams’ resignation triggered the by-election.

In his pitch to voters, Mr Yonge argued he would “more likely than any other candidate in this election” to secure funding from the Labor government for local infrastructure projects such as Wrights Rd roundabout and the Coopernook overpass.

But he has an uphill battle on his hands.

Port Macquarie is a secure Coalition seat, despite Ms William’s sensational defection to the Liberals in 2020 over the coalitions’ koala wars.

Mr Yonge will have to win over the electorate from Liberal candidate Robert Dwyer and Nationals candidate Sean Gleeson – who is the second person endorsed by the minor coalition partner to run.

Originally published as Dr Warwick Yonge announced as independent candidate for Port Macquarie by-election