DESPITE more than two decades of National Party representation in the Mallee,
the right Liberal candidate could win the seat in September, former Liberal
candidate Adrian Kidd told The Guardian.
The Liberal Party’s state director
has confirmed that the party intends to put forward a candidate to contest the
electorate at the upcoming federal election.
While a final decision is
expected to be made in the coming days, Liberal Party Victorian state director
Damien Mantach told The Guardian a Liberal contender was likely.
“Whilst a
final decision has not been taken, the party is highly likely to field a
candidate in Mallee,” Mr Mantach said.
Under the terms of the Liberal
Party/National Party coalition, the party not holding an electorate can only
contest the seat if the sitting member retires.
With Nationals’ John Forrest
announcing his retirement last week, the door to the Mallee is now open to the
Liberals.
The last Liberal candidate in the electorate, Adrian Kidd, said he
disagreed with the rule preventing Nationals and Liberals running against each
other unless an MP retires.
“I believe that the [Coalition’s] agreement
disenfranchises the party that is not holding the seat,” he said.
“Nobody is
keener than I am to see the Liberals hold this seat.”
Mr Kidd was the Liberal
Party’s Mallee candidate in the 1993 election, eventually missing out on a place
in parliament by just 734 votes to John Forrest.
While he said the Mallee’s
political landscape had changed dramatically in two decades, Mr Kidd claimed the
right Liberal candidate could effectively challenge anyone the Nationals put
forward.
“Support has fallen off, because if you can’t contest elections then
what is the use of campaigning? Elections are what it is all about,” he
said.
“The National Party have some good candidates already and if we’re
going to contest this election then we’ll have to have some too.
“I’m
confident there are plenty of quality people out there, its just they have come
forward.
“Although he pledged to strongly support any Liberal candidate who
stood for the Mallee, the 73-year-old categorically ruled himself out of
electoral contention.”I’d love to, if I was 20 years younger,” Mr Kidd said.
