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| Labor runs its David against Goliath Barnaby Joyce in New England | Labor runs its David against Goliath Barnaby Joyce in New England |
| (3 months later) | |
| Labor has chosen local man David Ewings to take on the former deputy prime minister in the New England citizenship byelection | |
| Katharine Murphy Political editor | |
| Thu 2 Nov 2017 06.03 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 2 Nov 2017 06.49 GMT | |
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| Labor will run David Ewings in the New England byelection, with the candidate declaring on Thursday he is the underdog in a David versus Goliath political contest in the north-west of New South Wales. | Labor will run David Ewings in the New England byelection, with the candidate declaring on Thursday he is the underdog in a David versus Goliath political contest in the north-west of New South Wales. |
| Announcing his intentions to run at the Tamworth Base Hospital, flanked by the shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, Ewings, a resident of Scone in the southern part of the electorate, said Labor was running to give people a “positive alternative” to the Nationals in the poll on 2 December. | Announcing his intentions to run at the Tamworth Base Hospital, flanked by the shadow minister for agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, Ewings, a resident of Scone in the southern part of the electorate, said Labor was running to give people a “positive alternative” to the Nationals in the poll on 2 December. |
| Labor hasn’t held the seat since 1913. New England has been a National party stronghold, apart from a recent period when prominent independent Tony Windsor held the seat. | Labor hasn’t held the seat since 1913. New England has been a National party stronghold, apart from a recent period when prominent independent Tony Windsor held the seat. |
| Earlier in the day, Barnaby Joyce told reporters he welcomed Labor’s entry into the byelection that had been triggered by him being ruled ineligible by the high court – as long as there was a “clean fight”. | Earlier in the day, Barnaby Joyce told reporters he welcomed Labor’s entry into the byelection that had been triggered by him being ruled ineligible by the high court – as long as there was a “clean fight”. |
| “That’s democracy, a clean fight is a good fight, as long as they play a clean game, I look forward to that,” he said. | “That’s democracy, a clean fight is a good fight, as long as they play a clean game, I look forward to that,” he said. |
| When asked what Joyce might have meant by that observation, Fitzgibbon said he had long given up trying to translate Joyce’s observations. | When asked what Joyce might have meant by that observation, Fitzgibbon said he had long given up trying to translate Joyce’s observations. |
| Fitzgibbon was coy when pressed what resources Labor would put into the seat, and whether the campaign would be bolstered by resources from the trade union movement and from progressive activist groups such as GetUp, but he said the local effort would be significant. | Fitzgibbon was coy when pressed what resources Labor would put into the seat, and whether the campaign would be bolstered by resources from the trade union movement and from progressive activist groups such as GetUp, but he said the local effort would be significant. |
| Returning Joyce to parliament is critical for the Turnbull government because Joyce’s departure means the government has lost its working majority on the floor of the House of Representatives. | Returning Joyce to parliament is critical for the Turnbull government because Joyce’s departure means the government has lost its working majority on the floor of the House of Representatives. |
| Fitzgibbon told reporters he believed Joyce was relying on a local sympathy vote but he needed to accept responsibility for failing to engage in proper vetting processes, which would have uncovered his dual citizenship. | Fitzgibbon told reporters he believed Joyce was relying on a local sympathy vote but he needed to accept responsibility for failing to engage in proper vetting processes, which would have uncovered his dual citizenship. |
| Ewings, who also ran against Joyce in the 2016 election, will join a small field that includes the Armidale-based independent, Rob Taber, who has contested the seat in the past two federal elections. | Ewings, who also ran against Joyce in the 2016 election, will join a small field that includes the Armidale-based independent, Rob Taber, who has contested the seat in the past two federal elections. |
| Despite the potential for a backlash against the Turnbull government in a byelection – which would be the usual outcome in a forced election, particularly when the government of the day is behind in the opinion polls – both One Nation and the shooters party have elected to sit the contest out, leaving the conservative field free for Joyce. | Despite the potential for a backlash against the Turnbull government in a byelection – which would be the usual outcome in a forced election, particularly when the government of the day is behind in the opinion polls – both One Nation and the shooters party have elected to sit the contest out, leaving the conservative field free for Joyce. |
| Campaigning in Manilla on Thursday, and with the Turnbull government’s citizenship woes still a matter of significant controversy after the departure of the Senate president, Stephen Parry, Joyce dismissed the need for an audit of parliamentarians, saying it was better to “rely on honesty”. | Campaigning in Manilla on Thursday, and with the Turnbull government’s citizenship woes still a matter of significant controversy after the departure of the Senate president, Stephen Parry, Joyce dismissed the need for an audit of parliamentarians, saying it was better to “rely on honesty”. |
| “My first port of call is always for honesty. If you think you’ve got some questions to answer, then put them forward,” Joyce said. | “My first port of call is always for honesty. If you think you’ve got some questions to answer, then put them forward,” Joyce said. |
| He noted the ALP was not calling for an audit. | He noted the ALP was not calling for an audit. |
| Joyce also dismissed arguments from Liberal MPs that the Senate president always went to a Liberal during periods of Coalition government. | Joyce also dismissed arguments from Liberal MPs that the Senate president always went to a Liberal during periods of Coalition government. |
| He said his colleague, John “Wacka” Williams, would do a good job, and he intended to “stand behind my people”. | He said his colleague, John “Wacka” Williams, would do a good job, and he intended to “stand behind my people”. |
| “It’s a Coalition government. Maybe someone else could have a go. You really shouldn’t rule anything completely out. Imagine if we went about things that way? | “It’s a Coalition government. Maybe someone else could have a go. You really shouldn’t rule anything completely out. Imagine if we went about things that way? |
| “There was a Liberal [as Senate president], he’s resigned, that’s a reason for the Nationals to at least have a look-in.” | “There was a Liberal [as Senate president], he’s resigned, that’s a reason for the Nationals to at least have a look-in.” |
| Barnaby Joyce | |
| Australian citizenship | |
| Australian politics | |
| Labor party | |
| National party | |
| Coalition | |
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