LIBERAL candidate Chris Crewther has said he will not be deterred by comments made by Nationals leader Warren Truss labelling the Liberals bid for Mallee a ‘waste of resources’.
In an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday, Mr Truss said he thought it would be better if the two parties did not waste resources fighting one another.
He added that, as a Coalition partner, the Nationals had chosen not to contest the Victorian seat of Wannon at the last election and felt the same courtesy should be afforded by the Liberals in the Mallee electorate.
However, Mr Crewther defended his candidacy and said it was important the people in the Mallee region were given a choice.
He said in the 64 years the Nationals had held the Mallee seat, just three members had passed through in that time.
“There is an opportunity for us to win this seat after 64 years of one party in the seat,” he said.
“People want to see an improvement in these [regional] areas and they shouldn’t be disadvantaged by where they live.”
For more of this story see Friday’s Guardian (July 26).
