Independent Senate candidate Craig Garland suggests he will not try for fourth tilt

Maverick independent Senate candidate Craig Garland has suggested he will not try a fourth tilt at politics if he is unsuccessful when voters head to the polls this week.

Craig Garland Senate candidate. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

MAVERICK independent Senate candidate Craig Garland has suggested he will not try a fourth tilt at politics if he is unsuccessful when voters head to the polls this week.

The North-West fisherman also lashed out at the major political parties, which he says would endorse “Jack the Ripper” to get elected.

Mr Garland labelled Saturday’s federal election a referendum on values — and yesterday said he was interested to see where Tasmanians stood on issues including the management of the environment, the aquaculture industry and transparency.

“I’m not wasting my time if they don’t give a damn,” Mr Garland said.

“I’ll put my time and my energy into my family in the comfort of the knowledge I did everything I could do.”

Mr Garland is among 44 people vying for six spots to represent Tasmania in the Senate.

Poll analyst Kevin Bonham said it was likely Labor and Liberals would snag two Senate seats apiece when voters head to the polls on Saturday. Greens senator Nick McKim would likely receive the fifth seat, he said, with the sixth spot a fight between a wide field of contenders, including Mr Garland and independent Jacqui Lambie.

“Labor or Lambie are probably the clearest frontrunners for it but there are quite a few others,” Dr Bonham said.

“If [Ms Lambie] holds up her support at the level she got last time she’ll be OK but I’m not sure she will.

“There’s a lot of competition for that sort of vote this time around, the Nationals and the United Australia Party and [independent Steve] Mav and [Craig] Garland from a different perspective will compete with Lambie I think.”

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Ms Lambie said yesterday she considered her main competitors Labor and the Liberals, saying Tasmanians had told her during her year-long campaign they were sick of the major parties.

She would not comment yesterday on what she would do if she did not get elected. Her energies were focused on getting to Canberra so she could “keep the buggers honest”, she said.

Mr Garland, who has run in one state and one federal election before this latest bid, yesterday accused the major parties of “hijacking democracy”.

“There’s no mention in the Constitution of these parties and the sooner we get rid of them the sooner we get better outcomes,” Mr Garland said.

“All they’re interested in is finding someone with a profile. You could be Jack the Ripper but if you have a profile they’ll get you out there.”

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