We have warned of potential consequences at the ballot box if more decisive action was not forthcoming.
The concerns were around issues the community we fight for wanted addressed, but they were ignored.
On Saturday the anger at the manner in which the region has been treated by politicians poured out at the ballot box, with a massive swing against The Nationals and the incumbent Austin Evans.
The party which has represented our interests for decades was decimated to an extent no-one predicted.
Helen Dalton, for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, was expected to give The Nationals another fright. Instead, with a swing at this point greater than 27 per cent, she gave them a walloping.
The question is: Will The Nationals and their Liberal bed mates listen to the cries of discontent and take action, or continue along the path they have been treading?
At a higher level, they appear to have decided that southern NSW, and even parts of northern Victoria, can be sacrificed as this would appease many city-based environmentalists and lower the risk of losing seats in South Australia.
As we said on Friday, it appeared The Nationals thought they could retain Murray, despite the community unrest. If that was the case, it was a wrong assumption.
We congratulate Helen Dalton who ran the better campaign of the major players and deserves to be Member for Murray. She indicated she is prepared to fight for better water policy, plus improved health and education. A tough job awaits.
Her victory puts the future in our region of The Nationals — and perhaps even their Liberal colleagues — at the crossroads.
On Sunday their state leader and Deputy Prime Minister John Barilaro acknowledged his party has to ‘‘earn the trust back’’.
This must start with developing a greater understanding of the damage to the communities they are supposed to be supporting from a flawed Basin Plan, and taking proactive steps to fix it.
Nationals at all levels must convince their federal Water Minister David Littleproud that blazing ahead regardless of the social and economic cost is not in the best interests of many areas which have traditionally been his party’s heartland. Nor is it in the national interest.
Also at federal level, the Member for Farrer Sussan Ley needs to take notice of Saturday’s state result. She has failed to get the action many of her constituents want on the Basin Plan.
In fact, she has not even been able to convince Prime Minister Scott Morrison to meet with a local delegation to talk about some of the concerns, let alone convince the Water Minister that important parts of her electorate are not prepared to be the sacrificial lambs for his flawed policy and stubborn refusal to act in our interests.
Over the years we have seen grandstanding and rhetoric from Ms Ley on the important water issue, but not the results. That must change ... and quickly.
No-one could have predicted after the state election four years ago that on March 23, 2019 our region would elect anything other than a Nationals member.
Replacing the Liberals in Farrer would also seem highly unlikely, but unless some of the serious issues facing the region are addressed — especially around water — it is obviously not out of the question.
●●●
A defeated Austin Evans was critical of what he called “the role played in the election by the Deniliquin Pastoral Times” and accused us of “deliberately misquoting” him (page 3).
It seems he was primarily referring to our article headlined ‘I don’t need Deni’, which reported a comment made during a meeting with local health advocates.
The Pastoral Times stands by this report.
We also believe The Nationals should be looking at the real reason they lost Murray, that being the community frustration which continues to build because they are not delivering the effective policy and results their constituents are demanding.