It is no surprise the names of civic and community leaders are being pushed forward as potential candidates to take on sitting Dubbo MP and Deputy Premier Troy Grant at the next State election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Many in the electorate are not happy with the Baird government, its decisions and Mr Grant’s role in them.
That disappointment runs at deep levels on some issues and spreads way beyond the borders of the Dubbo seat.
The greyhounds race ban, forced council mergers, liquor lockout laws … they would just be a few of them.
It is not just that people disagree with the decisions … it is the way they are made, lack of consultation and the way people who oppose the government have been treated – even those from within the Coalition camp.
Questions are being asked about the commitment of Premier Mike Baird and Mr Grant to democratic principles and processes.
The greyhounds issue was always going to explode. Communities in the regions with big dog racing groups would be financially threatened and angry. Local MPS would be lobbied.
Three Nationals MPs crossed the floor to vote against the government ban last week. Two of them were Parliamentary Secretaries – former minister Katrina Hodkinson and Chris Gulaptis saying they were standing up for constituents.
Mr Grant reportedly said he was proud of the MPs for standing up for their electorates.
Then on Friday afernoon, he issued a media release removing the two from their roles.
Ms Hodgkinson said Mr Grant did not speak to her beforehand. She found out about her sacking from the release. He had not spoken to her over the weekend. Outrage spread from greyhound interests to the wider civic and political community because of that treatment.
Communities and individuals who opposed the forced council mergers believe, with some justification, that they were treated with contempt.
And there is certainly growing disenchantment with the Coalition. A Fairfax Media opinion poll last week showed support for the government and Mr Baird as premier had plummeted.
The disappointment is not coming from the Labor side of politics. It is from all sides.
With support for two civic leaders as future Dubbo state election candidates, the problem is growing in Mr Grant’s backyard.