The Liberals will be the only Coalition party to have a candidate in the Wagga byelection.
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Speaking exclusively to The Daily Advertiser, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated earlier comments that the Liberals would field a candidate and that there would be no three-cornered contest against The Nationals.
“I can confirm the comment I made a few days ago that there will be no three-cornered contest. The Liberal Party will be running a candidate,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The election is being held after Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire announced he would resign after being caught attempting to solicit kickbacks on Sydney property deals.
The Nationals’ leader John Barilaro had previously not completely ruled out nominating a candidate, but his office is making no comment on Ms Berejiklian’s latest remarks.
Former federal MP Kay Hull has this afternoon told The Daily Advertiser she would not be running, despite having been touted for a return to the political arena.
Ms Berejiklian said the party had had “some some very good people come forward” as potential candidates.
“Nominations opened last weekend and the process is ongoing,” she said.
“We’re very, very keen to make sure we have a candidate in the field as soon as possible because my strongest message to the community is that the NSW government – the Libs and the Nats – have really invested in Wagga. That will continue.
“We realise the importance of the electorate, the importance of the community and whether it’s the new hospital or new road upgrade or new schools or new amenities, we’ve been there side by side by the community and I want to make sure that continues in every way.
“The Deputy Premier and I are joined at the hip. We are a strong team and we believe it’s in our government’s best interest to run one Coalition candidate.”
Mrs Hull, the former Member for Riverina who had been repeatedly discussed as a potential candidate and even named in robo-calls to Wagga voters, said she had been approached “countless times” to run.
“I am not going to be running,” she said.
“While I think it would be fantastic to see The Nationals have the opportunity to test the waters, that is not my decision. It’s a matter for The Nationals and the Liberal Party.
“But I would love to see people have a choice.”
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Ms Berejiklian said the Coalition leaders were hoping the process would be “as smooth as possible”.
“We apologise profusely to the community that you have to go through this election, but it was our very strong view that it would be unfair to leave the seat vacant until the election,” she said.
“We believe the people of Wagga should have their say. We believe very strongly that they should have their say in supporting a voice in the government, because their government can deliver and certainly our government has already delivered.
“We are in a strong financial position and have the opportunity to deliver even more for the community with a strong voice on behalf of the government in Wagga.
“I think what is really important is no matter where we run in NSW, the Deputy Premier and I have agreed very strongly that from a state perspective, three-cornered contests are not anything we want to engage in.
“We want to send a strong message to the community that Libs and Nats, as far as the NSW government is concerned, are interchangeable.”
Dan Hayes, Labor's candidate in the byelection, said Ms Berejiklian’s comments looked like “just another Sydney-centric decision”.
He was critical of what he described as “secret meetings about what is in the best interests of regional NSW”.
“This is a decision which is not being taken to the electorate,” Mr Hayes said.
He likened it to decisions the government had made about greyhound racing and forced council amalgamations, which had not been taken to an election.