THE Liberal Party will run a candidate in Euroa, creating a three-cornered contest with its Coalition partner The Nationals.
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The party’s state director Damien Mantach has confirmed a candidate for the new seat — which takes in most of retiring Nationals MP Bill Sykes’ seat of Benalla — would be announced next month.
It puts an end to speculation over whether the Liberals would run against The National Party’s Steph Ryan, in apparent defiance of the Coalition agreement of 2008.
The agreement, signed by Nationals leader Peter Ryan and former premier Ted Baillieu, excludes either party from running a candidate in a seat being vacated by a retiring member of the other party — but interpretations have varied on what this means with electorate boundary changes and new seats.
The Nationals have said they wouldn’t run a candidate in Eildon, a new seat including parts of the old Benalla and Seymour electorates that sitting Liberal MP for Seymour Cindy McLeish will contest.
The only other three-cornered contests so far are in Ripon and Buninyong, both held by Labor.
It was reported this year the Liberals had vowed to honour the agreement, sparking concern from local branch members.
TODAY IN LOCAL POLITICS
Euroa electorate conference chairman Jason Ronald said it was in the best interest of the Coalition to both run candidates.
“It’s a new seat and it’s yet to be tested so it seems fair to everybody that we all have a go,” he said.
“I’m keen to have a Liberal candidate who Liberals can vote for.”
Asked if running a candidate would affect the parties’ relationship, Mr Ronald said: “We’ve worked very well together for many years and I don’t think locally we will see any problem with that.
“It will be a friendly competition and may the best person win,” he said, adding the branch was unlikely to “go overboard” in campaign spending.
Nationals state director Jenny Hammett said her party would remain focused on its own race.
“The Nationals have a particular view of the agreement and the Liberals may have a different one,” she said.
Asked if the Euroa contest would affect the relationship, she said: “Victoria will be best served by a Coalition government and the Nationals are focused on seeing a Coalition government returned.”
Ms Ryan said she would continue to focus on showing she was the best candidate for Euroa residents.
“The margin might look quite conservative but there’s been quite a population shift in the area in the past few years, so even if the Liberals weren’t running, I wouldn’t consider it a safe seat,” she said.
