A Liberal Party decision to run a candidate in the northern Victorian seat of Euroa has inflamed tensions with its Coalition partner, the Nationals, during a critical period in the lead-up to this November’s state election.
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The Liberal Party endorsed physiotherapist Tony Schneider as its candidate for the newly-formed country seat on Thursday night, in defiance of repeated objections from the Nationals that such a move would be in breach of a long-standing Coalition agreement.
A Liberal Party statement issued on Thursday night – while Nationals heavyweights were at a ‘‘Centenary Foundation Dinner’’ for the party in Melbourne – was silent on why the party would run a candidate directly against a Nationals candidate. But Fairfax Media has been told local Liberal branch members wanted the opportunity to vote for a candidate representing the Liberal Party, rather than stand back and let the Nationals win what is very likely to be a Conservative-held seat.
The seat was created after a redivision of electoral boundaries last year. The Nationals view the seat – which covers a large area of northern Victoria including towns such as Euroa and Benalla – as Nationals territory, and preselected a candidate, former ministerial adviser Stephanie Ryan, in February.
On Friday Nationals leader Peter Ryan expressed his frustration about the Liberal decision in frank terms. ‘‘We are very unhappy about this, we are angry about it in fact,’’ he said.
‘‘But on the other hand we need to concentrate on the principle task, which is to win this election. That’s crucial in the short, medium and long-term interests of all Victorians - and nothing will distract us from it,’’ he told Fairfax Media.
In an earlier interview with Fairfax Media, before the Liberal Party named its Euroa candidate, Mr Ryan said: ‘‘We are very disappointed that they are running in Euroa. We did not want them to run in Euroa, we asked them not to run in Euroa. We think the fact that they have done so is in breach of our agreement with them,’’ he said.
Asked who would win Euroa, Mr Ryan was comfortable about making a prediction although polling day is more than three months away. ‘‘I think we will win Euroa,’’ he said.
Nationals members have been questioning why their Coalition partner would stand a candidate in a country seat that they believed Ms Ryan would succeed in. Ms Ryan, who is not related to the Nationals leader, has had many months headstart on Mr Schneider. She has been doorknocking for months, is regularly in local media, is from a well-known local family and is being promoted in countless posters placed in prominent positions throughout the towns and farming districts of the electorate.
Ms Ryan, 28, is considered by many in the party as a rising star. In an interview with Fairfax Media in May she revealed a unique family connection, that she was a relative of the bushranger Ned Kelly, and produced a range of family documentation to prove it.
Euroa will not be the only electorate home to a ‘‘three-cornered’’ contest on November 29, where each of the three major parties will field their own candidate. They will also occur in Ripon and Buninyong in western Victoria.
Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach said Mr Schneider would ‘‘be doing everything in his power to maximise the Coalition vote” in Euroa.
“With Euroa being a new seat the Liberal Party is keen to ensure that the Coalition is in the best possible position to win the seat in November,’’ he said.
Mr Mantach said the party had chosen eight new candidates for the election.
One of them, Michael Langdon, is the party’s new candidate for the critical regional seat of Bendigo West, held by Labor.
Dr Langdon replaces former Liberal candidate Jack Lyons. Mr Lyons withdrew his candidacy this week after offensive posts on his Facebook page were revealed.
