A political expert is urging Mallee voters to back an independent "for the right reasons".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dr Paul Williams, a lecturer at Queensland's Griffith University, said he doubted an independent MPs' effectiveness if the Labor Party became government, which he said was the most likely outcome.
"I would say if you're going to vote independent, make sure you're comfortable their position aligns neatly with your own, and not simply out of spite for the major parties. That is not conducive to good public policy," Dr Williams said.
Dr Williams also cast his doubts over the effectiveness of independents in the event the Labor party won a majority government, which he said was the most likely overall outcome of the election.
Related:
"After the 2010 election, NSW independents Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor secured a lot of funding for their electorates because it was a hung parliament," he said.
"But hung parliaments are the exception. Either major party can form government from a hung parliament this time around, though (a hung parliament) is unlikely. Without a hung parliament the independents would be ineffective.
"Any government has to reconcile competing interests, but politics is about setting priorities and given major parties have committed to urban infrastructure, one would imagine they will prioritise that over rural infrastructure if elected.
"Mallee won't be denied infrastructure if an independent wins, it just won't be singled out for special treatment either."
Independent Cecilia Moar rejected this, saying an independent winning would have the opposite effect.
"If people change their vote in Mallee, we would be sending a roar to Canberra, and we'd get a lot of interest," she said.
"I have connections at a national and local level, so I'd have a greater capacity to negotiate and get stakeholders to the table than a backbencher in an opposition party."
"If Labor wins they will not be neglecting us. You can see that at a state level with Ali Cupper in Mildura. She made quite an impact with maiden speech, and she is actually out in the community and listening and pushing for Mildura Hospital to be public again. That has been a big topic in Mildura at Mallee candidates forums and it's not going away."
Ms Cupper won the seat of Mildura from Nationals MP Peter Crisp at November's state election, ending twelve years of National Party rule.
It was the third time she contested the seat, and Ms Cupper has previously served on Mildura Rural City Council alongside another independent for Mallee at this federal election, Jason Modica.
"I've spoken with her at length on politics and taken great advice form her," Mr Modica said.
"It certainly helped me get a better feeling for how to manage volunteers on the ground and how to vote cards."
"If elected, I'd look at a two-pronged approach to engaging with people in Mallee. I'd hope to go to a council meeting once a month and then meet with community groups as well so I hear concerns from a range of voices."
The third independent, Rupanyup's Ray Kingston, agreed with Ms Moar that the argument independents were ineffective except during hung parliaments was invalid.
"It's a different parliament to when Oakeshott and Windsor were elected," he said.
"Recently it was shown half of the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities' grant funding went to cross bench seats during 2018, and the government had a majority for much of that year."
Mr Kingston said the interested generated in Mallee by three independent campaigns was proof of the attention a non-party politician could attract.
"We have to accept when rural and regional people don't have the numbers in an increasingly urbanised Australia, so having opportunity to have urban Australia sit up and pay attention to our needs he brought us massive opportunities," he said.
"The narrative in the rest of Australia goes a seat like Mallee will put up with the Nationals no matter what because we're not imaginative. I've always thought that's undersold the region, and I think all the attention we've received at this election has given us a chance to prove that."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.