Orange councillor Tony Mileto is hoping he will be given a last-minute reprieve to run in the Nationals’ preselection in Orange on Saturday despite officials ruling him ineligible.
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Cr Mileto was declared ineligible to run for preselection after failing to declare his membership of the Nationals when he was elected to council in September last year.
The initial preselection vote between Cr Mileto and Parkes’ Yvette Quinn was due to be held on March 18, but was postponed.
Since the postponement, Parkes mayor Ken Keith has received a nomination to run against Ms Quinn, and at this stage the official line from the Nationals’ head office is that only Ms Quinn and Cr Keith will be running for preselection.
Cr Mileto said he was issued a warning about his undisclosed status from the NSW Electoral Commission, but had received advice that it would not rule him ineligible.
However, the Nationals picked up on Cr Mileto’s council nomination blunder as a reason to not accept his nomination.
Despite that, Cr Mileto said he still has “strong support” from grassroots members in Orange and Forbes, and hopes to contest.
“My plan is to turn up and be part of the preselection process, I’ve been encouraged by the members to do so and depending on the format of the meeting is how I’ll take part in it,” he said.
“I’m preparing to make myself available for preselection if the members want me.
“I’ve been inundated with calls from members with support, encouraging me to continue with my nomination and make efforts to represent the region.”
Cr Mileto said he believed the representative to take on Shooters, Fishers and Farmer’s Phil Donato should come from Orange, and that Nationals members should be given the opportunity to choose their candidate.
“I think the voters and members have been very clear and vocal they want to be given the opportunity to pick the person they want to represent the Nationals and not be influenced in their decision to do so by external factors,” he said.
“I just want to be given the opportunity like any other candidate and I don’t believe there is anything that precludes me from running as a candidate.
A Nationals spokesperson said the party “undertakes strict vetting procedures to ensure that our candidates are suitable to be elected as Members of Parliament”.
The winner of Saturday’s preselection will run in the state election in March 2019.
Max Stainkamph
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
Max joined the CWD in September 2017, leaving the big smoke of Melbourne to come to Orange, where he stayed until 2020.
