ABC South East NSW has reported that the Bega Valley Shire Mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick, has been preselected as the Liberals candidate for the seat of Bega in the March 2023 state election.
Mayor Fitzpatrick told ABC South East presenter Simon Lauder this morning that he was throwing his hat in the ring for state politics saying "I'm pretty excited about that."
"I don't believe in the team blue or team red. I'd just like to have a crack."
"I'd just like to see more advocacy from our part and it's very hard as a councillor, and even as mayor, to get things achieved that you want to achieve," he told ABC South East.
His comment about not believing in in Team Blue or Team Red might not have been well thought out given that the Liberal Party voters DO believe in Team Blue and have very strong opinions about Team Red, Team Green and Team Anybody who might beg to differ.
Above: The colour of the undies a candidate wears does matter to voters. Saying "I'd just like to have a crack" won't wash. Given that Team Red already have their candidate in Dr Michael Holland and the Russell Fitzpatrick would have little entree to the South East Greens his options would be to financially back himself in his own campaign as an independent or suck at the generous teat of the Liberal Party who have a reputation of pouring in considerable electioneering dollars to promote their candidate. While Mr Fitzpatrick might declare he doesn't believe in Team Blue it is inevitable that he will be required to stand by every election promise declared and will have to toe the party line with his responses as to why the Bega electorate, especially the Bega Valley, has been the poor cousin that he identifies in requiring "more advocacy from our part" saying "it's very hard as a councillor, and even as mayor, to get things achieved that you want to achieve." Given that he is referring to the failures to achieved that you want to achieve due to shortcomings or otherwise of the current NSW Government is he indirectly disparaging the very party that he wishes to stand for.
Mr Fitzpatrick might be known in the Bega Valley but is basically an unknown in the north of the electorate. His standing as a Liberal Candidate will be a difficult task given the that many in the region do "believe in the team blue or team red" (or team green). It will be interesting to hear him speak of the radio therapy facility petition and the justifications being offered by his own "party" as to why the region does not deserve such a facility, as apparently determined in a "confidential analysis" by the local health district and the Cancer Institute as reported in the Daily Telegraph 22/11/2022
He might also like to advise voters on why the NSW Liberal government has gone back on its promise to take financial control of the many regional roads across the State (including the South East) that remain to burden of ratepayers to repair.
