Tony Windsor
NSW independent Tony Windsor says if The Nationals “had any brains” they’d choose a good local member to replace dumped preselected candidate Richard Torbay, rather than taking the opportunity to parachute Queensland Senator Barnaby Joyce into the lower house.
Mr Windsor said The Nationals kept making the same “fatal mistake” in assuming they owned New England.
He said they’d made that assumption for 88 years and were still demonstrating that attitude in saying they would win the seat back at the next federal election on September 14.
“The Nationals thought they could win back New England by putting up an opportunist – Mr Popularity – but they showed no regard for the party’s philosophy or their grassroots members,” he said.
“And now we’ve got second choice Barnaby Joyce coming back into consideration.
“He was second choice to Richard Torbay and New England was his second choice seat after Maranoa and really New England was one of six seats he was contemplating for a run at the lower house.
“It’s pretty clear and plain that Barnaby Joyce standing in New England, if he does, is about himself and not the electorate.
“It’s a bit like cow lottery – he just drops a pat anywhere and says if you invite me I’ll come into your seat.
“Good luck to Barnaby Joyce – he’s entitled to stand wherever he likes but don’t try and argue that this is about the people of New England. It’s about Barnaby Joyce and always has been.”
Mr Windsor said Nationals Leader Warren Truss was “up to his armpits” trying to get Mr Torbay to run in
New England – only to stop Senator Joyce getting into the lower house.
“That’s not about the people of New England either, that’s about Warren Truss,” he said.
“The Nationals make the same fatal mistake all of the time – it’s all about them.
“And that’s why Barnaby Joyce wouldn’t take on Bruce Scott in Maranoa because Bruce Scott is there for the right reasons.
“If you look at Bruce Scott and Barnaby Joyce and make a comparison – Bruce Scott is a Nationals MP who cares for his people and Barnaby Joyce only cares for himself.”
– The Land