The National Party’s Victorian branch has confirmed it will field a candidate in the seat of Buninyong at the upcoming state election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Despite being a safe Labor seat for more almost two decades, the electorate is set to return to the limelight after incumbent Geoff Howard announced he would not stand at November’s election, ending a 19-year stint in office.
The Nationals’ candidate will be the fourth to join the race for the former Ballarat East seat, which stretches from from Humffray Street South to Parwan.
Labor’s Michaela Settle earned pre-selection for the seat in November, while the Liberals unveiled former radio journalist Andrew Kilmartin as their pick in May.
In February mental health campaigner Bren Eckel, who also ran in the 2016 federal election, announced he would be putting his hand up as an independent.
In a statement Nationals state director Matthew Harris said “we will announce The Nationals candidate for Buninyong in the coming weeks”.
“As the only party dedicated to regional Victoria, The Nationals are determined to fight for a better deal for all communities outside Melbourne,” the statement read.
The declaration to again field a candidate in Buninyong follows a disastrous 2014 campaign for The Nationals, which resulted in a falling out between party HQ and candidate Sonia Smith.
Ms Smith refused to use how-to-vote cards issued by the party, which preferenced then-Liberal candidate Ben Taylor due to differing views on abortion, opting instead to use cards with no reference to the party.
Traditionally, The Nationals’ preference decisions are made by the party president and the state director. Ms Smith polled just 2301 first preference votes, just 6.5 per cent of the electorate.