Greg Matthews’ political career was truncated this week when the Dubbo councillor missed out on National Party preselection.
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Earlier this year Mr Matthews withdrew his nomination as the National Party’s Dubbo candidate at the State election only to renominate for an Upper House spot.
However the Nationals’ powerful central council saw fit to sidestep Mr Matthews and instead select five other hopefuls from a pool of 13 candidates.
Dubbo duty MLC and Opposition spokesperson on energy Duncan Gay was given the top slot followed by sitting member Rick Colless.
Mr Matthews, who narrowly lost to Dubbo MP Dawn Fardell in the 2007 State election, bowed out of the Legislative Assembly’s
preselection race in February claiming he had changed his mind at the last moment.
“To run for the legislative council is an eight-week internal campaign which will allow me to not wake up every morning to see what is being said and written about me,” he said at the time.
After his decision, Mr Matthews acknowledged that polls showing Dubbo councillors were “on the nose” with the public influenced his decision.
So far the Nationals have pushed back the deadline for lower house preselection several times in the search for a suitable candidate to take on Ms Fardell.
Mr Matthews was not available for comment yesterday but his State counterparts offered their sympathies.
“It’s very disappointing for Greg obviously,” NSW National Party leader Andrew Stoner said.
Mr Stoner, who called it the Melbourne Cup of preselection battles, said all candidates were of a high calibre and “Greg probably would have won on another occasion”.
Mr Gay meanwhile said despite Mr Matthews’ failure to be preselected he was still a valuable Nationals member.
“He just didn’t get up on the day, you have to have a place in your organisation for somebody of Greg Matthews’ ability,” he said.
The final spots on the Nationals ticket were awarded to Niall Blair from Goulburn, Sarah Johnston, a former Mark Coulton staffer from Moree, and Ben Tyson from Kempsey.
“I was pretty nervous about it, I am the world’s biggest wuss when it comes to preselections,” Mr Gay said about snaring his party’s confidence for another election
“I love my job.”