When I say a unique position, we have a sitting member, Barnaby Joyce, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture, seeking a second term.

We have Tony Windsor, who was first elected in 2001 as an independent and was a good member, until he turned his back on his conservative constituents – not once, but twice.

He helped Julia Gillard to form the most chaotic government in Australia’s history, and then he turned his back on his constituents a second time by not defending his seat at the last election.

Both times he put “politics before people”.

Now he is standing against Barnaby Joyce and his slogan is “People before politics”.

He is certainly inconsistent at best, and his ongoing animosity towards the Nationals is still clouding his judgment.

With Barnaby, what you see is what you get.

With Tony, who knows, but we all know his track record, and he will back the Labor Party every time – and there is no doubt that they won’t back him unless there is another hung parliament.

A vote for anyone other than Barnaby is a vote for Tony Windsor.

John Dickson

Uralla