On Sunday, well-known practitioner, educator and health-industry chief Joe McGirr announced he would stand in Wagga byelection.

UPDATE – 12pm

The Greens have named Ray Goodlass as their candidate for the by-election.

Mr Goodlass has frequently run as a candidate for Wagga’s state and federal elections and has been elected to Wagga City Council and served as deputy mayor.

Mr Goodlass retired in 2010 as senior lecturer for drama at Charles Sturt University.

“I arrived in 1979 on a one-year contract and I’m still here,” Mr Goodlass said.

“Wagga has, in fact, been a very good city for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed my work at Charles Sturt University.

“I did stand, going back 15 or 18 years, as a greens candidate federally and state level several times.”

Mr Goodlass said the byelelction would be an important contest.

“It’s an opportunity to put a huge dent in the Liberals’ all-too-comfortable majority,” he said.

“I look forward to having a very large Greens vote as the people of Wagga are very aware that the Conservative government has really failed the people, the community and the environment.”   

Mr Goodlass named climate change, ongoing funding for schools and libraries and restoring the right to protest as policies for his campaign.

“We need to put a focus on people rather than profit,” he said.

“Also, under the present government, concern for the environment has been sadly lacking.

“We have seen the consequences with that in the drought and the bushfires already in August, for goodness’ sake.

“We have government completely blind to global warming and climate change.”

EARLIER – 10.30am

The Shooters party has named its candidate for the Wagga byelection, launching its campaign with claims that heavy truck owners were being ripped off.

Seb McDonagh, an IT public servant from Oura, announced his candidacy for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers minor party on Monday.

“I’ve lived in Oura for 10 years and I work in Wagga in the public service,” Mr McDonagh said. 

Mr McDonagh said he would start his campaign by listening to voters.

“Because the byelection is such a short period of time, I’m going to be going out and listening to our community; that hasn’t happened in a long time in this electorate.

“I’m going to be addressing issues like underfunded hospitals, the backlog in maintenance in our schools, our roads are atrocious.

“I need to listen to the community and take on their concerns.”

Mr McDonagh will also be running on a issue raised by Shooters Orange MP Phil Donato last week.

Mr Donato claimed in parliament that he had been sent leaked documents that showed farmers had been overcharged “about $32 million over the past 20 years for their concessional vehicle registration”.

Roads Minister Melinda Pavey said in response that Mr Donato was “playing politics” with the drought.  

“The state government has been overcharging farmers for heavy vehicle registration for the last 20 years,” Mr McDonagh said.

“They have been aware of it since February and they owe farmers $32 million.

“We’re in the worst drought in living memory and farmers are doing it tough...they have held on to the money and done nothing.”

Mr McDonagh called on the state government to “do the right thing” and release the money.

The Greens are expected to announce their candidate at 11am on Monday.