ARMIDALE Dumaresq Mayor Jim Maher is considering entering the race for the Northern Tablelands by-election as an Independent, in a move which could throw into disarray the Nats plans to win back the seat.
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Yesterday NSW Speaker Shelley Hancock announced the by-election would be held on May 25, with close of nominations on May 9.
The by-election was prompted by the sudden resignation of Richard Torbay from politics last month.
The Nats are thought to be frontrunners at the by-election, with former National Farmers Federation president Jock Laurie, Nats staffer Claire Coulton and former Gunnedah Mayor Adam Marshall facing off in party preselection this Saturday in Tamworth.
While Mr Torbay held Northern Tablelands with a huge majority since 1999, before that it was held by The Nationals' Ray Chappell from 1987.
Dr Maher, an adjunct senior lecturer in political science at the University of New England (UNE), said he would decide within a week whether or not he would run as an Independent.
"In terms of experience, in terms of qualifications and an understanding of the needs of the area and a love of representing people and solving their problems, I think I am equipped to do that job," he said.
Dr Maher has been a councillor in Armidale since 2004 and was a former chairman of the New England Area Health Service.
He said The Nationals were favourites for the seat at this point, but said that depended on whether other candidates - like himself - decided to run.
"If that happened it would be an interesting tussle, if that doesn't happen I think it would be returned to The Nationals," Dr Maher said.
State chairman for The Nationals, MLC Niall Blair, expected a large number of the more than 600 eligible Nats members in the electorate to turn out for preselection this Saturday.
"It's a really good indication of how strong the party is, particularly in the Northern Tablelands area, to have three very different but equally very capable candidates," he said.
Mr Blair said he was not taking it for granted The Nats would win Northern Tablelands.
"We expect a field of numerous candidates but we're not too worried about what anybody else is doing," he said.
As part of the federal Coalition agreement the Liberals agreed to not field a candidate in the federal seat of New England in exchange for The Nats reciprocating in Hume.
Mr Blair confirmed he had discussed the prospect of the Liberal Party fielding a candidate in Northern Tablelands, however NSW Liberals director Mark Neeham confirmed on Tuesday the party had decided against running in the upcoming by-election.
"We will be supporting our Coalition partner," Mr Neeham said.
Armidale Dumaresq deputy Mayor Herman Beyersdorf, who has nominated for Country Labor, said it was not "a given" The Nationals would take New England.
"The seat was held by Labor for a number of years in the '80s," said Dr Beyersdorf, a long-time UNE academic.
"I think it's a wide-open election at this stage."
Dr Beyersdorf, who ran for New England as the Labor candidate in the 1996 federal election, said the Labor vote had almost fallen to "minority party status".
"I want to go from what has become a very, very low voting base... to bringing Labor up to what you might call a very respectful figure and put it within much better distance of winning the seat at the next election or the election after that," he said.
