YVEYYE Quinn has resigned as The Nationals party candidate for the Orange electorate in next year’s state election.
Ms Quinn tendered her resignation to the party on Wednesday.
In a statement released on Thursday, the party said her resignation was “due to personal circumstances” and had “been reluctantly accepted by the party”.
“The Nationals wish to thank Ms Quinn for all her hard work since her preselection by local National Party members in June of this year,” the statement read.
“The party is currently providing support to Ms Quinn and looks forward to her ongoing participation and contribution to The Nationals.”
The mental health worker fended off speculation about her position as the party’s candidate as recently as two weeks ago.
The statement made no mention of who would replace Ms Quinn on the election ticket or when her replacement would be chosen.
Ms Quinn was selected as the party’s candidate in June this year, beating out Parkes mayor Ken Keith in the preselection vote after previously winning the endorsement of the party’s Parkes branch.
The mental health worker fended off speculation about her position as the party’s candidate as recently as two weeks ago.
An article published at www.parkeschampionpost.com.au on September 28 stated that senior members of the Nationals had encouraged the 21-year-old from Parkes to step aside, believing it was unlikely she could oust incumbent member for Orange Philip Donato at the statewide poll slated for March.
One member said polling conducted on Ms Quinn’s profile in the community had been especially concerning for The Nationals, while another indicated minimal money would be devoted to the campaign and no government ministers would visit.
In the same article, Western NSW Parliamentary Secretary Rick Colless said the party had been reviewing Ms Quinn’s performance.
This article first appeared in the Parkes Champion Post