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Windsor to challenge Joyce at federal election

Former independent MP Tony Windsor will attempt a return to federal politics by challenging Barnaby Joyce in the NSW seat of New England.

Mar 10, 2016, updated Mar 10, 2016
Tony Windsor announcing today that he will run as an Independent for the seat of New England at the next federal election. Photo: AAP/Mick Tsikas

Tony Windsor announcing today that he will run as an Independent for the seat of New England at the next federal election. Photo: AAP/Mick Tsikas

Tony Windsor knows he’s up for a David and Goliath battle as he makes an attempt to return to federal parliament.

The former independent MP has confirmed he will challenge Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for the NSW seat of New England, which he left vacant at the 2013 election.

Windsor, who controversially backed Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott after the hung 2010 election, has promised to mount a full-scale grassroots campaign.

“I’m fully aware that it will be a David and Goliath event,” he told reporters in Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.

His pitch was not about sending Joyce a message, it was about winning the seat.

Joyce, now The Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, holds New England with a 20 per cent margin.

A Reachtel poll in January found first-preference support for Windsor was running at about 33 per cent against 39.5 per cent for Joyce – down from 54 per cent at the 2013 election.

Windsor is likely to pick up preferences from Labor, the Greens and other independents, but he won’t be doing any deals.

“I have never done a preference deal in my life,” he said.

Windsor consulted his family before making the decision to re-enter politics, saying he felt compelled because “things” were stalling in New England.

He accused Joyce and others in the coalition of blocking progress when it came to issues of the future, such as renewable energy and alternatives to fossil fuels.

“It is this small group of right-wingers of which Barnaby Joyce is one, Tony Abbott, (Eric) Abetz, you all know who they are, that have a handbrake on progress.”

If he held the balance of power in parliament again, Windsor would not formally support one side over the other as he did in 2010.

“My leaning would be to being absolutely independent,” he said.

While Windsor is not opposed to coal mines, having lived next door to one since he was four years old, he has huge concerns about the proposed Shenhua mine and the impact on water supply in the Liverpool Plains region.

He said he is committed to fighting the project as well as to protecting water in the Murray-Darling Basin.

In making his decision to return to the fray of federal politics, Windsor quoted Australian of the Year David Morrison – who he has never met.

“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept”.

AAP

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