The retirement of state MP Troy Grant will make Dubbo an “exciting and interesting battleground” in the 2019 election, Labor MLC Mick Veitch said.
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The Tumut-based shadow minister for Western NSW visited the region this week to meet city leaders, and pledged $39,000 to the Burrendong Arboretum.
He said regional seats often fell when there was no incumbent, and Labor were keen to capitalise.
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“When the sitting member retires or resigns … it opens up the field,” Mr Veitch said.
“This is when the seats tend to change and a seat like Dubbo has a history of not sticking to the one party … of going to independents.
“This is when the opportunity arises … I think Dubbo should brace itself. It will be a very exciting and interesting battleground in the upcoming state election.”
Nationals State Director Ross Cadell said the party was “always worried about any seat slipping back into not being represented by government”.
“We take every seat, every time, incumbent or not, very seriously … and 2019 will be no different,” he said.
“We’ll approach it as usual; run hard, pointing out the huge amount of delivery that’s been happening in the seat of Dubbo and how we need that to continue for the future.”
It is not yet known who will replace Mr Grant as the Nationals candidate for Dubbo, with nominations for preselection closing on Saturday.
Country Labor’s Stephen Lawrence and independent Mathew Dickerson are so far the only two confirmed candidates for the poll on Saturday, March 23.