By Jeremy Sollars
Barnaby Joyce has been returned to office as the Federal Member for New England – which takes in the Tenterfield region – following a by-election last weekend triggered by the dual citizenship saga.
Mr Joyce’s former New Zealand dual citizenship forced him to resign as an MP and as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture in late October.
Counting of final votes in the New England by-election was still going at time of printing of the Free Times this week, but political analysts expected him to win a primary vote of around 64 per cent, up from 52.3 per cent at the last federal election.
The seat of New England was last week contested by no less than 17 candidates.
But Mr Joyce was easily the most high-profile of the 17 candidates running, given that former member Tony Windsor chose not to contest.
His return to federal parliament will increase the Turnbull Government’s numbers in the House of Representatives to 75.
His re-election comes as eight LNP federal members from Queensland announced last week that they would ‘brand’ themselves as Nationals candidates at the next federal election, to better deliver the Coalition’s political message to rural and regional Queensland voters.
They include our local federal member for Maranoa David Littleproud, who has insisted the Coalition remains united in Queensland, but along with other regional federal MPs he is concerned the ‘regional message’ is getting lost in election campaigning primarily focused on large metropolitan cities.
Local result yet to be declared
Votes in the Queensland election held on Saturday 25 November were still being finalised locally in our state seat of Southern Downs, at time of printing of the Free Times this week.
LNP candidate James Lister had not yet been officially declared our new MP, but remained on track with a clear lead in primary votes, and having said last week he was fully confident the seat is his.
The overall government situation in Queensland remained up in the air at the start of this week with vote counting in key marginal electorates around the state continuing.
The ALP Government of Annastacia Palaszczuk was still being predicted to be returned, with at least 47 of the 93 seats in the Queensland Parliament.
The LNP was predicted to win 38 seats.
Updates online at www.freetimes.com.au
