THE Nationals’ recent recruiting of well-known footballers as candidates was questioned by former Indi MP Sophie Mirabella in the wake of the party’s poor showing in the last state election.
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Six months later the Coalition partners are vying for Indi at the next federal election and the Nationals are still to announce a candidate after signalling an intention to contest the seat in early February.
Mrs Mirabella has been chosen as the Liberals candidate with the Sydney Swans’ dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes tossed up as a potential Nationals rival this week.
The Nationals relinquished their 47-year grip on the seat of Shepparton at the last state election with independent Suzanna Sheed’s victory compared to Cathy McGowan toppling Mrs Mirabella in Indi two years ago.
After the Coalition defeat, Mrs Mirabella wrote an article for the University of Melbourne website in her position of public policy fellow analysing the future of the Nationals whose preferences she will be relying on to win back Indi.
“The question for the National Party is not so much what they’re doing wrong, but rather, an examination of the path they’ve been setting themselves on for years,” she wrote.
“It’s become a common strategy for the Nationals to chase ‘name’ candidates, more often than not a well-known footballer.
“Selecting celebrity candidates works to some degree at a retail-politics level, but it’s just not sustainable.
“The Nationals did not lose votes because they took unpopular stands on controversial issues.
“They lost support because they didn’t mark their stake in the ground.
“Even some of their own members, loyal and committed to the cause, are no longer certain that the Nationals represent anything much beyond re-election.”
The Nationals have former footballers Damian Drum, Scott Turner and Russell Northe in the Victorian parliament with recently retired MPs Bill Sykes and Hugh Delahunty also former VFL players.
Mrs Mirabella’s loss of support from sections of the local National Party was among the factors which contributed to her loss to Ms McGowan.
She said the article last year had minimal relevance to the current political landscape in Indi.
“I’ve got many friends in the National Party, but they are a separate party and have their own processes to follow and decisions to make,” she said.
