More than 50 Liberal Party members and supporters from Eden, Pambula, Merimbula, Tura and Bermagui gathered in Merimbula last Saturday to meet prospective federal Liberal candidates for the seat of Eden-Monaro.
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“This was easily the best turnout of the year,” a Sapphire Coast Liberal spokesman told the Magnet after the function. “It showed a groundswell reaction to ineffective representation by Labor’s Mike Kelly.”
While a formal Liberal pre-selection process for a candidate to run against Dr Kelly in the 2019 Federal election has not yet been announced, two contenders are already doing the rounds of the 13 Liberal Branches across Eden-Monaro.
Nigel Catchlove, a business consultant and former army engineer, from Yass, and Jerry Nockles, an international relations expert with the United Nations, former staffer to ex-Eden-Monaro MP Peter Hendy and former Gulf War veteran, from Queanbeyan, were in Merimbula for the meet and greet function with Liberal Party faithful.
Mr Catchlove told the gathering that the timber industry in Eden and other areas of Eden-Monaro was dependent for supply on the renewal of three regional forest agreements within the next two years.
He said Labor had no interest in renewing the RFAs because it had outsourced its environmental policy to the Greens and in doing so had abdicated responsibility for jobs and economic prosperity.
He claimed Liberal governments had a good record on environmental policy, having created the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, banned whaling in Australia and stopped sand mining on Fraser Island.
Dr Nockles visited Bombala and Eden on his way to the Merimbula function, meeting with business people in Bombala and vieweing the breakwater wharf extension project in Eden.
He told the Merimbula meeting he supported the decentralisation of government departments from Canberra to regional areas.
"Eden-Monaro is one of the most diverse and complex electorate in the country,” Dr Nockles said. “I know the energy and temperament required to represent this electorate in the long-term and I am willing to do that.”
Jim Molan also addressed the meeting, urging party members to support the reform movement inside the NSW Liberal Party to “democratise” and “de-factionalise” by allowing ordinary grass roots members equal voting rights in pre-selections.
The retired Major-General is contesting the party presidency as head of a reform ticket nominating for the 52 positions on the NSW Liberal State Executive. Voting will take place over four weeks from early December.
