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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Tony Windsor will challenge Barnaby Joyce for seat of New England | Tony Windsor will challenge Barnaby Joyce for seat of New England |
| (6 months later) | |
| The former independent MP Tony Windsor has declared he is standing for New England on “issues of the future”, describing his stand against Barnaby Joyce as a “David and Goliath battle”. | The former independent MP Tony Windsor has declared he is standing for New England on “issues of the future”, describing his stand against Barnaby Joyce as a “David and Goliath battle”. |
| He has urged voters to stand up for policies of the future, including over climate change, the National Broadband Network, renewable energy and Gonski education funding. | He has urged voters to stand up for policies of the future, including over climate change, the National Broadband Network, renewable energy and Gonski education funding. |
| Windsor asked for the help of people inside and outside the electorate, characterising the deputy prime minister as a man of the last century, one of a “small group of right-wingers” including Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz, who were placing a “handbrake” on the future. | Windsor asked for the help of people inside and outside the electorate, characterising the deputy prime minister as a man of the last century, one of a “small group of right-wingers” including Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz, who were placing a “handbrake” on the future. |
| It’s not about sending Barnaby Joyce a message,” Windsor said. | It’s not about sending Barnaby Joyce a message,” Windsor said. |
| “It’s about winning the seat. I am serious ... and I’ll need the help of as many people as I can get from both within and outside the electorate,” Windsor said. | “It’s about winning the seat. I am serious ... and I’ll need the help of as many people as I can get from both within and outside the electorate,” Windsor said. |
| “One thing that can happen here, though, is that people can demonstrate if they’re serious about their own futures, they can send an enormous message to this place and fight the political machines that are going to move in on this in an attempt to grind me up. | “One thing that can happen here, though, is that people can demonstrate if they’re serious about their own futures, they can send an enormous message to this place and fight the political machines that are going to move in on this in an attempt to grind me up. |
| “They might grind me up but if people are serious and it’s a challenge to the electorate and the people who live there, if you are serious, you’ve got a choice. If you are not, I would vote Joyce.” | “They might grind me up but if people are serious and it’s a challenge to the electorate and the people who live there, if you are serious, you’ve got a choice. If you are not, I would vote Joyce.” |
| In an hour long press conference in Canberra, Windsor faced questions regarding the sale of part of his Werris Creek family farm to Whitehaven coal for more than $4.6m - given he was opposing the $1.2bn Shenhua coalmine. | In an hour long press conference in Canberra, Windsor faced questions regarding the sale of part of his Werris Creek family farm to Whitehaven coal for more than $4.6m - given he was opposing the $1.2bn Shenhua coalmine. |
| He said legal advice suggested that Whitehaven, which owned the underground resources, had the right to mine on the land and the case would simply end up in the land and environment court. | He said legal advice suggested that Whitehaven, which owned the underground resources, had the right to mine on the land and the case would simply end up in the land and environment court. |
| He said the Werris Creek mine was a very different situation to the the Watermark mine proposed on the Liverpool Plains, due to the water resources under the Plains and the highly fertile black soil above. | He said the Werris Creek mine was a very different situation to the the Watermark mine proposed on the Liverpool Plains, due to the water resources under the Plains and the highly fertile black soil above. |
| The Werris Creek mine, he said, was on an old quarry, on “crap country, the type of land that should be mined”. | The Werris Creek mine, he said, was on an old quarry, on “crap country, the type of land that should be mined”. |
| Windsor ended months of speculation by announcing his decision, first on ABC Tamworth and then in Canberra. | Windsor ended months of speculation by announcing his decision, first on ABC Tamworth and then in Canberra. |
| Joyce had already held a press conference in New England to preempt the announcement. He told the ABC that Windsor was part of the “Labor Green independent alliance”. | Joyce had already held a press conference in New England to preempt the announcement. He told the ABC that Windsor was part of the “Labor Green independent alliance”. |
| “It’s a democracy and I welcome any person and there will be a number of independent candidates, Mr Windsor’s one and that’s his choice,” Joyce said. | “It’s a democracy and I welcome any person and there will be a number of independent candidates, Mr Windsor’s one and that’s his choice,” Joyce said. |
| “There will be the Greens. I think overwhelmingly, people see Mr Windsor’s political journey as one where it started as an independent but ended up as a member of the Labor/Green/independent alliance. | “There will be the Greens. I think overwhelmingly, people see Mr Windsor’s political journey as one where it started as an independent but ended up as a member of the Labor/Green/independent alliance. |
| “That’s his prerogative. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that I’m getting. So if that’s the battle we have then I look forward to it.” | “That’s his prerogative. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that I’m getting. So if that’s the battle we have then I look forward to it.” |
| While Joyce may be favourite, it presents a headache to the newly elevated Nationals leader, who is usually required to campaign across the country for other members. The competition in New England will tie him closer to home. | While Joyce may be favourite, it presents a headache to the newly elevated Nationals leader, who is usually required to campaign across the country for other members. The competition in New England will tie him closer to home. |
| Joyce holds the seat on a notional margin (after electoral redistributions) of 19.9%. In 2010 at his last election, Windsor won 61.9% of first preference votes. | Joyce holds the seat on a notional margin (after electoral redistributions) of 19.9%. In 2010 at his last election, Windsor won 61.9% of first preference votes. |
| Windsor first held the balance of power in the NSW parliament and sided with the Liberal state government of Nick Greiner. | Windsor first held the balance of power in the NSW parliament and sided with the Liberal state government of Nick Greiner. |
| He first the federal seat of New England in the 2001 election as an independent and held it for 12 years. In 2010, he had joined fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie to back Julia Gillard’s minority Labor government. | He first the federal seat of New England in the 2001 election as an independent and held it for 12 years. In 2010, he had joined fellow independents Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie to back Julia Gillard’s minority Labor government. |
| He retired in 2013 citing health issues. | He retired in 2013 citing health issues. |
| Windsor said if he held the balance of power in parliament again, he would not formally support one side over the other as he did in 2010. He said the parliament could continue as normal. | Windsor said if he held the balance of power in parliament again, he would not formally support one side over the other as he did in 2010. He said the parliament could continue as normal. |
| “My leaning would be to being absolutely independent,” he said. | “My leaning would be to being absolutely independent,” he said. |
| Windsor also said he would not be directing preferences, which he considered an “insult” to voters, even though it is highly likely that, if he wins, that he will do so on the back of preferences. | Windsor also said he would not be directing preferences, which he considered an “insult” to voters, even though it is highly likely that, if he wins, that he will do so on the back of preferences. |
| Windsor won't be preferencing anybody. It is an "insult" to voters, can't tell them where to direct preferences. | Windsor won't be preferencing anybody. It is an "insult" to voters, can't tell them where to direct preferences. |
| Windsor: "We need across the nation to stand up and demand things that are about the future." #NBN, #climatechange, #Gonski, water. | Windsor: "We need across the nation to stand up and demand things that are about the future." #NBN, #climatechange, #Gonski, water. |
| “The electorate I live in, the electorate I love, the electorate I’ve worked for over many years, I see things stalling,” he told reporters. | “The electorate I live in, the electorate I love, the electorate I’ve worked for over many years, I see things stalling,” he told reporters. |
| “I’m not prepared to see regional people, people in the electorate of New England, treated as second-class citizens with their education of their kids, the Gonski [reforms], with their telecommunications ... in relation to climate change.” | “I’m not prepared to see regional people, people in the electorate of New England, treated as second-class citizens with their education of their kids, the Gonski [reforms], with their telecommunications ... in relation to climate change.” |
| Windsor criticised Joyce for doing “absolutely nothing” for the Murray-Darling basin plan and accused Joyce of ignoring climate change in the agricultural white paper. | Windsor criticised Joyce for doing “absolutely nothing” for the Murray-Darling basin plan and accused Joyce of ignoring climate change in the agricultural white paper. |
| “We’ve got a current member who thinks renewable energy is a bit of a joke,” he said. | “We’ve got a current member who thinks renewable energy is a bit of a joke,” he said. |
| Windsor told reporters the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, had been talking about the future a lot but had been “handbraked” on many issues. | Windsor told reporters the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, had been talking about the future a lot but had been “handbraked” on many issues. |
| “It is this small group of right-wingers of which Barnaby Joyce is one, Tony Abbott, [Eric] Abetz, you all know who they are, that have a handbrake on progress.” | “It is this small group of right-wingers of which Barnaby Joyce is one, Tony Abbott, [Eric] Abetz, you all know who they are, that have a handbrake on progress.” |