Editorial | Are we already in election mode in Calare?

This week we welcomed the Federal leader of the National Party, David Littleproud to Orange for a quick stop over. He was on his way to Mudgee for the field days and spent time in Eugowra and Molong touring both towns following last year's flood devastation.

Of course, Mr Littleproud has a big decision looming on the cards in terms of the Orange region and it's importance in the lead-up to the next Federal election.

In the last Federal election, the National Party was retained in the seat of Calare via incumbent member Andrew Gee.

Just before Christmas, 2022, Mr Gee left the party and became an Independent member of parliament in Canberra.

In Orange on Wednesday, Mr Littleproud said it was a decision that still baffled many in the National Party.

He said Mr Gee was urged to remain with the party but the Calare MP cited a differing view in the Voice to Parliament debate. He said the National Party in 2023 was not the party he once knew.

And so now we're left to wonder ... what next?

Mr Littleproud is adamant the Nationals will contest Calare at the next election. "I want to beat him," he said this week in regards to a potential clash with his former party room ally. Given the Coalition lost the last election, winning every seat they can is crucial next time the country heads to the polls.

Mr Gee, too, has indicted he will again stand for reelection come 2025. It looks as though he won't go down without a fight.

So the only real question remains: Who will run as the Nationals candidate?

When quizzed on who that would be by the Central Western Daily on Wednesday, Mr Littleproud indicated they would be nominating a person who is "local", "connected to the community" and has already shown that to the electorate.

State MLC Sam Farraway fits the bill.

Mr Farraway is currently a member of the upper house of the NSW parliament. Then on Friday, Mr Farraway posted from the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days alongside Mr Littleproud.

A keen social media sleuth also sent us a Facebook advertisement during the week. It displayed information about an upcoming 'Calare Electorate Community Forum' to be staged on Monday in Bathurst. Mr Littleproud will be there, as will Nats senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. The event's host? Sam Farraway.

Mr Littleproud has made it clear the people of Calare can expect to see plenty more of himself in the lead-up to the next election. His desire to win the seat back is no secret.

But it looks increasingly likely too we'll be seeing a lot more of Mr Farraway in a Federal capacity too.

Will that be enough to unseat a MP like Mr Gee - who has devoted plenty of time to his constituents in almost every corner of Calare since abandoning the Nats, and his popularity has arguably increased since.

Time will tell. But, for now, you get the feeling we're very much in the initial throws of what looms as a lengthy campaign for the seat of Calare.

Nick McGrath, editor

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens.Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.