WITH just a week left until the federal election, United Australian Party candidate Stuart King says delivering a major swing against The Nationals would be considered a victory.
At a press conference alongside party leader Craig Kelly, the UAP candidate said winning Mallee would be tough but there were other measures of success.
“The reality is we need a swing of 15.7 per cent against the National Party, who have been here for 73 years – that’s a tall ask,” he said.
“The ultimate success would be to win but, failing that, a major swing against the National Party in Mallee would act as a wake-up call.
Mr King said The Nationals needed to get “back to their grassroots” and remember where their original support came from 73 years ago.
The idea of waking up The Nationals could be a problem for current Mallee incumbent Anne Webster, who in a recent YouGov two-party-preferred poll was leading with 56 per cent to Labor’s 44 per cent. Although she would still win, it would be a 10-point swing against her since the last election, when there was a first-preference swing against her of 28 points.
However, Labor’s Carole Hart relied heavily on preferences in 2019, having received less than 16 per cent of the primary vote.
In the case that he’s not victorious, Mr King refused to state whether he’d run for the party in the future, noting the taxing nature of an election campaign for non-incumbents.
“It’s very trying for someone who’s not an incumbent,” he said. “It’s a big ask. Tens of thousands of kilometres of travel, lots of dollars invested and time away from our personal lives.
“I’m not just talking about me, I’m talking about other candidates in Mallee as well.”
Mr Kelly was in Mildura to promote the 20 per cent regional tax deduction that he suggested could be an
exchange for services not yet provided in the Mallee.
“If people in regional centres, such as here in Mallee, can’t get the same resources as people living in the city, then they deserve a lower rate of income tax,” he said.
