Orange City councillor Tony Mileto’s bid to nominate to become the National Party candidate for Orange in the state election has again been rejected by the party hierarchy.
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Cr Mileto has been knocked back four times despite support from local branch officials and members.
Jeff Herdegen, chairman of the Orange Electorate Council for the National Party, took Cr Mileto’s bid to the executive of the party’s central council last week.
However, he said he was told the party did not want anyone who had previously nominated.
“They want to start with a fresh new lot,” he said.
There seems to be a reluctance to run any of the candidates they ran before.
- Jeff Herdegen, National Party
“There seems to be a reluctance to run any of the candidates they ran before.”
He said Cr Mileto was “an outstanding local champion” who had local support.
“I think [Cr] Mileto would be a fresh start myself. He would be a very good nominee,” he said.
“Every branch in the electorate has asked for a decision that Tony Mileto be allowed to run.”
Mr Herdegen said he had not been given any other reason why the party did not want Cr Mileto to stand.
“There’s no reasonable explanation,” he said.
Mr Herdegen said the Nationals needed to choose a candidate soon with the election due on March 23.
“Whatever we do it is going to have to happen very, very quickly,” he said.
“We would want to pre-select very quickly and we would want Tony Mileto to be able to nominate.”
Mr Herdegen also said former candidate Yvette Quinn was chosen because she had delivered the best presentation at the party’s candidate selection meeting and he rejected any suggestion it had been “a protest vote.”
Cr Mileto said it was disappointing the view of the local branches was not being accepted.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride,” he said of his attempts to be nominated.
“I’m considering my options, what I will and I won’t do,” he said.
“I’ve always had tremendous support which is humbling from the three local branches. That has never wavered. The rule has just been made without justification.”
Meanwhile Orange mayor Reg Kidd said while he had been approached to nominate for the Nationals he would not stand. “I have absolutely no interest. I’m not even a member of the National party,” he said.
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