It seems Barnaby Joyce is to remain a time-serving hack in the Senate. Bruce Scott isn’t giving up the Seat of Maranoa for him and the Nationals don’t want him in New England. Clearly he is the only National who sees him as important enough to be moved to the House of Representatives.
New England is not a National Party fiefdom. Tony Windsor has been proving it for years, as has Richard Torbay. So why is Richard trying to bend the electorate to his new-found ambitions. Does he think we are all dolts?
Political independence is a philosophical ethos. It is not to be abandoned because independents are supposedly on the nose. Voters know an excuse is not a reason.
Billy Hughes and Joe Lyons tried this, then Mal Colston turned it into an art form. None of them are kindly remembered.
The political scientist Peter Van Onselen told Sky Television (15-6) that Richard Torbay will beat Tony Windsor in New England. I think he is wrong.
Political scientists are not pundits and the people of Armidale do understand the philosophy of political independence. A political independent is not a chancer waiting for a better offer.
Tony Windsor is a genuine independent and Richard Torbay is not a genuine National. The Nationals lost at the last election and voters don’t support people who aren’t genuine.
John Bergin,
Armidale
