FORMER Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge has confirmed his interest in joining the hotly contested battle for the federal seat of Indi at the next election.
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Dr Fidge stood for the Country Alliance party in the Victoria election late last year and collected close to 10 per cent of the primary vote in the Ovens Valley electorate won comfortably by the Nationals’ Tim McCurdy.
Country Alliance announced on Friday a pre-selection process would be held for the seat of Indi with Dr Fidge one of two party members already vying to be its candidate.
"I will put my hand up for pre-selection, but it is up to the party to select whom they think best, of course," Dr Fidge said.
Party chairman Robert Danieli refused to reveal the identity of the other confirmed starter, but said former Indi candidate Phil Rourke wasn't interested in standing again.
"Candidates will be judged their political origins and how long they've been a member," Mr Danieli said.
"We don't want to parachute people in and we want to know they have the interests of the party at heart."
Mr Rourke stood for the Katter Party in the 2013 election won by Cathy McGowan, but the Victorian division of the party has since merged with Country Alliance.
The Country Alliance candidate for Indi will be announced at the end of August.
Eleven candidates contested Indi two years ago and already there are four confirmed starters _ Ms McGowan, Liberal Sophie Mirabella, Labor's Eric Kerr and Greens’ Jenny O'Connor.
The National Party is resisting pressure to open pre-selection and may not select a candidate until next year.
Ms McGowan won the seat two years ago by less than 500 votes with Dr Fidge a scrutineer of votes for Mrs Mirabella.
Mr Danieli said Indi would be one of three lower house seats Country Alliance would target.
"A quality candidate who has their finger on the pulse within the electorate is needed," he said.
"There has been too much procrastination on infrastructure and a solid direction for the electorate needs to be put in place on issues such as the Big Buffalo dam, road and rail."
Mr Danieli also delivered a back-hander to the Nationals.
"In the absence of a real country-based party, rural and regional areas are being neglected," he said.
