John Barilaro decides NOT to run for a seat in federal parliament - even though polls said he could have won
- Labor MP Mike Kelly resigned, prompting a by-election in seat of Eden-Monaro
- New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro considered running for the seat
- But he today said he would not run and continue to serve in the NSW parliament
New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro has decided not to run for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro.
The NSW Nationals leader said he wants to focus on representing the people of Monaro in the state parliament.
He said polls found he could have won but he was 'at peace' with his decision, despite being buoyed by colleagues and commentators who said he could be the next deputy prime minister.
Deciding to run would have been risky because it would mean quitting as deputy premier with no guarantee of victory.
Mr Barilaro's decision paves the way for NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who represents neighboring Bega, to potentially run for the Liberal Party after the cabinet colleagues promised not to compete against each other.
New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro (right with his youngest daughter) has decided not to run for the federal seat of Eden-Monaro
The seat of Eden-Monaro in southeast NSW became available after Labor MP Mike Kelly resigned for health reasons on Thursday.
The by-election is expected to be a three-cornered contest, meaning the Nationals and the Liberals will both put up candidates against Labor.
Fiona Kotvojs, a local farmer who narrowly lost to Labor in the 2019 election, told Daily Mail Australia she will run to be the Liberal candidate again.
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Bega mayor Kristy McBain is running for Labor and has been endorsed by leader Anthony Albanese.
It is not clear who the Nationals will choose, if they decide to run at all.
The election is expected to take place in June or July. Labor holds the seat by a 0.9 per cent margin, making the contest extremely tight.
In the 2019 election, Labor won 39.2 per cent of first prefence votes and the Liberals won 37 per cent with the Greens on 8.8 per cent and the Nationals on seven per cent.
Mr Barilaro (second right) attends a briefing by NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons during the bushfire crisis
New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro and his family with New South Wales Governor David Hurley following his swearing in at NSW Government House in Sydney in 2019
The Liberal Party will be hoping to snatch the seat as the Prime Minister's poll ratings soar on the back of Australia's success at handling COVID-19.
However, Eden-Monaro includes the bushfire-hit town of Cobargo, whose residents gave Mr Morrison a hostile reception in January.
History doesn't favour the Coalition because a federal government has not won a seat from the opposition in a by-election since 1920. For that reason, losing the seat would be a major blow for Labor leader Anthony Albanese.
Mr Barilaro said on Friday morning that he will run the numbers over the weekend to see if he has a realistic chance of winning the seat before quitting as deputy premier.
'We'll look at the research, we'll look at polling,' he said.
'I'm proud of what I have achieved in New South Wales and there is more for me to do here. But if there is an opportunity for me to do something on the federal political landscape, I'll give that a lot of consideration.'
Leader of the NSW National Party, John Barilaro, with daughter Sofia and wife Deanna, pose for photographs after he is sworn in at Government House in Sydney in November 2016
