An internal National Party email has called on members to volunteer for an unnamed “independent candidate” in the Coffs Harbour council by-election on December 12.
What happened: Long-serving Coffs Harbour councillor Paul Amos resigned from his role earlier this month, triggering a by-election.
Last week, local Nationals members received an email from the chair of the party’s Coffs Harbour State Electoral Council, seeking support for an Independent candidate hoping to fill the vacant spot.
The email: In an email obtained by the Mid North Coaster, the chair, Keith Bensley, wrote to members that the party was “expecting an Independent candidate supportive of our standards, beliefs and expectations to contest the election”.
“It is important for the future prosperity of the Coffs Coast that we support the election of such a candidate…” he wrote.
Call for volunteers: Bensley suggested Nationals members could assist the candidate “on pre-poll and polling day by handing out their ‘how to vote’ leaflets”.
“... we will be calling on your valuable assistance to volunteer for the roster at your preferred booth.”
The inscrutable nature of the email means it’s not clear whether the Nationals are already aware of an Independent candidate planning to run, or are simply hoping and praying someone who precisely mirrors their worldview puts their hand up.
The response: The Mid North Coaster spoke to Bensley by phone, but he declined to comment, stating the email was confidential.
NSW Nationals leader Gurmesh Singh said the branch is not officially endorsing any candidate, and would not play a role in selecting such a person.
“We don't give them any support from a party perspective. But you know, it's also no surprise that conservative people would want conservative councillors,” said Singh.
He said there was “no direction or mandate” for branch members to support the candidate, just an opportunity to volunteer if they so wished.
Party’s position: The National Party of Australia - NSW is registered for state and local elections in NSW, permitting it to run a candidate in the Coffs Harbour by-election.
Unlike Labor and the Greens, the National Party hasn’t officially run candidates in recent Coffs Harbour council elections.
Singh said this is partly due to councils dealing with “far more local issues”.
The history: Previous candidates in Coffs Harbour have run as Independents while being affiliated to the Nationals, including the current mayor.
Nikki Williams ran as an Independent in the 2024 council election, but declared on her documentation to the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) that she was a member of the NSW National Party. She also received endorsement from Singh.
Williams has, however, spoken previously of the importance of keeping party politics out of local government.
Across NSW, it is not uncommon for members of a political party to run for a council as an Independent. Some may run as a party candidate at the state or federal level, but have no party affiliation at the council level.
Back to the polls: Residents of the Coffs Harbour LGA will vote for Amos’s replacement on December 12.
The NSWEC will run the by-election, and voting is compulsory.
The City of Coffs Harbour told the Mid North Coaster it was yet to receive an estimate from the state on the cost of the by-election.
Candidate nominations open on Monday November 2. By then, voters should have a clearer picture on who - if anybody - the Nationals are planning to support.
Image credit: Gurmesh Singh MP FB.