A war of words around the quality of leadership in the Riverina has kicked off between One Nation’s Malcolm Roberts and Member for Riverina Michael McCormack. Photo: File.
A political State of Origin has kicked off between Member for Riverina Michael McCormack and Queensland One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts.
Mr Roberts visited Wagga Wagga earlier this week to officially launch a branch of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in the Riverina.
When explaining One Nation’s decision to establish itself in the Riverina, Mr Roberts said it was due to a lack of representation from the Nationals.
“People are tired of the Nationals,” he said.
“They want someone actually to be a voice for them.
“People from Wagga have called me and said we need some decent representation here. The Nationals are just sitting back and allowing things like net zero, which many local farmers have come out and opposed, to take place.
“The Nationals are starting to be torn apart by it, and the people who are most affected by it are the voters.”
Member for Riverina and former leader of the Nationals Michael McCormack refuted Mr Roberts’ claims and questioned his knowledge of Riverina issues.
“He’s a senator for Queensland; what would he actually know about what farmers in Riverina want?” Mr McCormack said.
“I live here. I’m off the land. My father, his father and his father before him all farmed the land around here.
“How would a senator from Queensland have any concept, any idea, about what the farmers in the Riverina are thinking?
“I asked for a carve-out for agriculture when the first net zero discussions were taking place.
“The peak bodies representing farmers and NSW farmers and the National Farmers Federation were also saying net zero was important to be able to get important trade opportunities.
“Quite frankly, Malcolm Roberts has never been around one of those important Cabinet table discussions, and never will be.”
Former Wagga councillor Paul Funnell joined Mr Roberts to launch One Nation in the Riverina while also highlighting what he believed to be shortcomings by the National Party in the Riverina.
“The last time we got proper regional representation in this area was actually Eddie Graham, who was part of the Labor Party in the 1960s,” Mr Funnell said.
“We haven’t had proper representation since. It’s the reason that I’m standing with One Nation, because for 30 years, Pauline Hanson’s message has never wavered and it has never changed.”
Mr McCormack also responded to Mr Funnell’s claims by listing major initiatives brought to the Riverina during his terms in office.
“Look at the delivery that has happened whilst I’ve been a member and whilst I was the deputy prime minister,” he said.
“The supposed lack of delivery has been a point made by a certain person who actually once held office at Wagga City Council during a time where we got the levy bank funded, which hadn’t happened before, when we got the new stadium at Equex, when we got a big new refurbishment and an extension of the Botanic Gardens Museum and the Riverside Precinct.
“But more than that, nearly one billion dollars spent on RAAF and the Kapooka Base refurbishments. If that isn’t delivery, I don’t know what is. So for somebody who once held public office to stand there and say nothing has been achieved, they must have been living under a rock.”
