One Nation may be closely associated with federal issues – but the party’s NSW leader Mark Latham wants voters to know they will champion issues closer to home.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Latham arrived in Griffith on Thursday on a regional tour which includes stops in Wagga, Leeton and Deniliquin.
He arrived not only to talk about his candidacy for the NSW upper house, but to promote Thomas Weyrich as the party’s candidate to take on Austin Evans in the seat of Murray.
“The Nats have dropped the ball in key areas and they don’t seem to fight for country people the way they might have 20 or 30 years ago and I think One Nation is the logical replacement,” Mr Latham said.
He cited the National Party’s support of the greyhound ban and their inability to prevent the Sydney stadium projects as evidence.
He said the spend on the Homebush stadium should be re-directed to country hospital facilities which would help support jobs.
When it comes to water Mr Latham said the Murray Darling Basin Plan had failed NSW and more water needed to be kept to support agriculture and industry.
RELATED
“The plan doesn’t have the flexibility to adapt to drought conditions,” he said.
“What NSW should do is recognise that the water that flows into the state and the water that we’ve got here, needs to be kept here in far greater volumes.”
Mr Weyrich is a mechanic by trade and runs his own business and has been a local government councillor on Murray Shire Council and its amalgamated successor Murray River Council for 19 years, including terms as mayor and deputy mayor.
Mr Weyrich said Helen Dalton from the Shooters Party had done a fantastic job in the Murray byelection in 2017.
“It just goes to show how vulnerable the Nats are and how much dissatisfaction there is with the Nats.”
Mr Weyrich said good science, knowledge and common sense hadn’t “got a run” in the water debate and if they had, “we wouldn’t be here in this situation”.
“What I’m saying is, that it’s a political decision only to benefit the South Australians.”
***
While you're with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to your inbox every Monday at 6am from The Area News? To make sure you're up to date with all the Griffith and MIA news you can sign up here.
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
