In what has come as a surprise to Labor voters in the South East of NSW the Sydney Morning Herald today (October 14th, 2021) reports that NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has already suggested to his shadow cabinet that they should not run a candidate in Monaro or Bega by-elections.
It is not known why he might be of this opinion however, by failing to put up a candidate it will be considered as defeatist even before the contest begins which is not a good look for the NSW Labor party who may as well raise a banner saying "We have given up on you".
The seat of Bega has been held by Andrew Constance since 2003 and was well challenged in the last election on the primary vote.
It is widely known that the Member for Bega has fallen from favour within the electorate. While none would argue that he performed well during the bushfire period at a community level his continued failure to answer emails and to be accountable to the community on a variety of issues from marine parks to health and education has led to many referring to him as a Missing Member" more interested (and distracted) by his Transport portfolio. A decision by Chris Minns not to field a Labor candidate in a Bega byelection, for want of a candidate putting up their hand, will only prove that NSW Labor in Sydney is unaware that the local Liberals have no-one in their own camp worthy of the die-hard Liberal voters endorsement with Andrew Constance leaving a considerable hole to fill, especially in the popularity stakes that saw justifiable support for the person, rather than the Party he represented. State Labor leader Chris Minns on Thursday said his party was "weighing up the resources required" to potentially contest four byelections in the short term. The NSW Labor leader has said now was not the time for costly "unnecessary byelections" and has urged John Barilaro and Andrew Constance to reconsider their resignations. "But to use the circumstances of her departure to leave in the middle of a pandemic, which is what the Transport Minister and the Deputy Premier are doing, I don't think is putting the interests of NSW first. I think it's putting personal ambition and the next career move first."
Mr Minns is quoted as saying that with NSW experiencing "an economic and health crisis", now was not the time for politicians to be resigning and triggering costly "unnecessary byelections".
"At the end of the day, it's the responsibility of every Member of Parliament to put your community first, and your own career second," he told Sky News.
The NSW Labor decision, if they stand by it, is based on finances and resources with Chris Minns suggesting that Labor will need to "weigh up" a decision about where we deploy our resources against "a legitimate desire from the electors in those communities to have a choice." Stepping up to support the tens of thousands of Labor supporters in the South East, Ryan Park, Shadow Minister for South Coast said today: I have to be clear as the Shadow Minister for South Coast, the local community deserve to have a choice and Labor should be running.
That’s certainly the feedback I am getting from locals and I intend to raise it with the leader.
Unaware of the poor candidacy hopefuls of the local Liberal party it appears that Minns is happy to declare defeat by saying "It's a decision we're going to have to make. It's one I don't take lightly, but I have to make that decision in the context of leading a political party that has a very tough to no chance of winning those byelections."
"We have to weigh up the fact that unnecessary and expensive byelections are coming within almost a year of the general election."
The fact of a by-election in Bega remains a moot point as Andrew Constance has not yet resigned and has indicated he does not plan to until the end of the year.
On a reported salary of $405,000 per year it is understandable that the Member for Bega might wish to remain in the seat for as long as he needs however it is understood his decision will be pressured when nominations for pre-selection for the Federal seat of Gilmore close in late November.
