The Nationals have confirmed Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack’s pre-selection for next year’s election. Photo: Supplied.
Member for Riverina Michael McCormack will stand for re-election in next year’s federal poll after his pre-selection was confirmed by the Nationals at a meeting in Gundagai on the weekend.
“Michael McCormack continues to do a wonderful job as the Member for Riverina and I am proud to have him endorsed as our candidate,” said the Nationals’ Riverina Electorate Council chair Barney Hyams.
“He has been a strong voice for the Riverina electorate as well as regional and rural Australia.
“His proven track record of delivery will hold him in good stead with the recent electorate boundary changes announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.”
Mr McCormack was elected as the Nationals’ Member for Riverina on 21 August, 2010, and said he remained committed to representing the region in the Federal Parliament.
“It is deeply humbling to have served the communities of this wonderful electorate for more than 14 years,” he said.
“I have lived my whole life, worked in and raised a family in the Riverina electorate and I am proud to have done so.
“I am looking forward to continuing to get out in the electorate and listening to as many people as possible.”
The Riverina electoral boundaries shift was confirmed in October: Photo: Michael McCormack.
Campaigning ahead of next year’s election will affect several new communities after the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) confirmed the new boundaries for federal electorates in NSW in October.
The significant shift for Riverina saw the local government areas of Bland, Forbes and Parkes moved into the Parkes electorate held by the Nationals’ Mark Coulton.
The federal seat of Riverina now includes the Snowy Valleys and Yass Valley LGAs, which were previously within Labor MP Kristy McBain’s seat of Eden-Monaro, and the Upper Lachlan LGA as well as the Boorowa section of the Hilltops LGA from the Hume electorate, held by the Liberals’ Angus Taylor.
The electorate has expanded from around 49,000 square kilometres to more than 52,000 sq km and increased the voting population from about 118,000 to more than 127,000.
“I want people to know that with my experience and record of delivery, I will put their needs first and advocate for them fiercely in Canberra as I have done throughout my time as a Member of Parliament – regardless of whether it is people who I have represented over the past 14 years or those who have recently been included in the new Riverina electorate boundaries,” Mr McCormack declared.
“I am privileged to have an opportunity to continue to serve the great people of the Riverina and South West Slopes as the Nationals’ candidate for Riverina at the next federal election.”
According to ABC election pollster Anthony Green’s blog, the extensive boundary shift will impact Mr McCormack’s margins with an influx of more left-leaning voters.
“The National[s’] margin in Riverina declines from 14.8% to a still safe 9.7% after picking up parts of Eden-Monaro and Hume,” he predicted in September.
While a margin of 10 per cent is unlikely to see Mr McCormack lose his seat, there are rumours that it has emboldened several local independent challengers hoping to capitalise on regional discontent with the status quo.
Region is aware of two potential candidates in the Riverina hoping to follow in the footsteps of the ”Teal independents” who successfully reshaped the Parliament in the 2022 election.
Mr McCormack, meanwhile, is betting his re-election on the “grassroots democracy which gives the Nationals its strength”.
“This great party has been standing up for regional and rural Australians as their voice in Parliament for more than a century – I look forward to continuing this important duty for and on behalf of the people of the Riverina.”
The federal poll must be held on or before 27 September, 2025, to elect the members of the 48th Parliament of Australia.
Original Article published by Chris Roe on Region Riverina.
