Two independent state MPs in rural Victoria are split over the Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) announcement it would be campaigning on rural issues in a range of country electorates ahead of the November election.
At its recent conference, the VFF said it would focus on Ripon, Eildon, Mildura, Nepean, Bass, South Barwon, Shepparton and Polwarth – seats with electoral margins between 0.04% and 10.8%, held by independent, Labor and Liberal representatives.
The independent Shepparton MP, Suzanna Sheed, who holds the northern Victorian seat by 5.3% from the Liberals, questioned the lack of National party-held seats in the VFF’s campaign.
“If the VFF were to campaign on behalf of the National party, for instance, that would be evidence that the VFF was failing to live up to its pledge to represent ‘the interests of farmers and regional communities’,” she told Guardian Australia.
“In Shepparton, it took the election of an independent MP to end almost 50 years of underinvestment in the city and surrounding region.
“If the VFF wants to get results for farmers and regional communities, they should vocally support MPs and candidates with a track record of achievement.”
The VFF president, Emma Germano, said the organisation is “non-partisan” and did not “promote any candidate or political party”.
“We engage with all sides of politics to deliver better outcomes for farmers and regional communities,” she said.
“The decision to focus our campaign in certain parts of the state is based on an assessment of the strategic political importance to the government and opposition, as well as where VFF has strong local branch networks.
“You have more political clout by using local examples in marginal seats to get the government and the opposition parties’ attention.”
Germano said the VFF wants the government and opposition to focus on regional rail, rates, telecommunications and housing, with roads a key priority.
“It resonates a lot louder when we talk about every regional Victorian’s road safety,” she said.
“Despite only having 24% of the population of Victoria, 50% of the deaths happen on regional roads and that is something we all have to care about.”
The seat of Mildura, held by independent Ali Cupper, is more marginal than Shepparton, with only 0.68% between Cupper and her Nationals rival after the 2018 election.
But Cupper was comforted by the thought that the VFF deemed Mildura an electoral battleground.
“That’s exactly what we should aspire for it to be,” she said. “The more attention this seat gets from the major parties, the better. I was elected in 2018 on the platform that the big parties were failing us, and now they are fighting over us.
“The VFF is right, regional Victoria should be front and centre at this election, and the major parties need to lay out their plans to address areas highlighted in the VFF’s platform.”
Mildura will be a tight race, with the Nationals standing former Swan Hill mayor, Jade Benham, against Cupper and Liberal candidate Paul Matheson, who is a police officer. Both will rely on their synergies with VFF to take the seat for the Coalition.
“They’ve taken many of my passion points and articulated them specifically for me,” Benham said.
“It is great that the VFF has specifically highlighted our region of Sunraysia as a key focus area for regional development and investment, acknowledging the importance and contribution from our varied agricultural and manufacturing industries to the state of Victoria.”
Matheson said he found it refreshing and comforting that the country voices were being heard, saying he expected nothing less from the VFF.
Germano hoped that rural candidates consider the VFF’s campaign.
“We would expect that if you don’t engage with the VFF and our election platforms, you have kind of missed the point of regional Victoria, and it is really just about that fair go,” she said.
• This article was amended on 12 August 2022. Jade Benham is a former mayor of Swan Hill, not Mildura as stated in an earlier version.
