Buckle up: We're in for a wild ride

If you're anything like us this week, you would have found yourself asking: How long is it until the next federal election?

It's a fair question given the events of this week. The Nationals are seemingly hell bent on winning back Calare following the resignation of Andrew Gee from the party in December, 2022.

Nats boss David Littleproud has been in Orange more in the last 12 months than most Nationals leaders in the last decade.

But, and this has been the question for almost all of those 14 months since our incumbent member became an independent in Canberra, who will be the man to take on Andrew Gee?

Speculation has been rife. Just about everyone has a theory.

But this week we got a clearer sense of who will likely be endorsed by the Nats once the redistribution of seats takes place in the coming weeks.

Sam Farraway, the NSW MLC and now former shadow minister for regional roads and transport, stepped back from his shadow ministry on Friday.

It paves the way for him to make a run at the seat of Calare come the next election.

Mr Farraway has long been touted as the man to run against Gee. At just about all of David Littleproud's stand-ups in Orange over the course of the last 12 months, Mr Farraway has been his right hand man.

The Nationals were staunch 'No' campaigners throughout the Voice to Parliament referendum, and Mr Farraway spoke at a few of the rallies the Nats staged in Calare, alongside the Federal leader of the party.

In a social media post made on Friday confirming his resignation from the shadow ministry, Mr Farraway tagged Mr Littleproud's Facebook account. Odd, given his stepping back from a state shadow portfolio has little to no impact on what the National party does in Canberra.

Unless ...

The odds of Mr Farraway running for Calare have shortened considerably this week. Speaking with our journalist Will Davis, Mr Farraway confirmed he's always had an interest in federal politics.

While the NSW leader of the Nationals, Dugald Saunders said Mr Farraway is looking for new challenges.

The redistribution will take place by the end of March and we should have a draft plan of what's to come by then.

If Bathurst and Orange maintain their position as the main centres of Calare, then expect Mr Farraway to be endorsed and then buckle up for a long, long Federal campaign in our region.

So ... how long until the next Federal election again?

(For those playing along at home: We'll head to the polls again in 2025, perhaps as late as September that year).

Thanks for reading.

Nick McGrath,, Editor