Brad Robertson has had a ‘fantastic’ campaign in Farrer by-election: Bridget McKenzie

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]Let's go to Aubry. The National Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie is live with me.

[00:00:04]Senator McKenzie, thank you for your time and >> an important night for Brad Robertson. I I get the sense though for him this is really a twostep strategy that he'll have a crack tonight, but he'll be back again at the federal election. He's a very good candidate, military person, lot of credibility clearly in the electorate. Um, but this seems to me a two-step strategy. Is that a fair way to put it?

[00:00:32]>> Well, I think for the National Party, KG, we are definitely back fighting for Farah. Um, our candidate Brad Robertson has left everything on the field. Uh, we've had a really super positive campaign. Uh and it's been great to see communities from here in Aubry, Nandra, Griffith, right along the great Murray, Leon really re-engage with our political movement again. Um with what we've got to say on water policy, fighting for better healthcare and the like. Um so I've found this a fantastic campaign and I think Brad uh has been welcomed everywhere he's gone. Now, when you say it's a two-stage strategy for Brad, that's obviously as the most Democratic party in the Australian Parliament, that'll be a matter for our membership.

[00:01:18]But Brad uh outstanding candidate and I think if you ask everyone on the street that saw him operate um on the ground, but in those candidate forums would say he was the best candidate uh by far.

[00:01:33]Now, whether that will translate into votes tonight will be another thing and we'll see as those booths come in. But I think for a party uh whose soul is in the regions um it was great to be able to re-engage with these communities uh who feel very frustrated. So you have invested a lot though, haven't you? in terms of at the very least a lot of time, energy yourself, certainly Matt Canavan >> as an investment in trying to really put your brand, put the Nationals back in a seat where you have got a a very strong heritage with Tim Fischer, one of the a modern I don't I don't think it's overstating it, but like he's a modern great in terms of a modern leader in this country in terms of your political party. Absolutely. No doubt.

[00:02:22]Absolutely, KG. It's a quarter of a century since they've had an opportunity to vote for us. Um so we have been really excited about putting our net zero policy to the people. Um our view on water policy and the decimation that the Murray Darling Basin plan has caused right throughout um the southern connected basin here in southern New South Wales, but also northern Victoria.

[00:02:45]um the fact that we were the political party in the coalition government that delivered um the Murray Darling Basin Medical School Network which is based right here uh in the border region. So we've got a track record and I think it's about getting on the ground with people who really have frustrations maybe at a local and national level with other uh with our coalition partners, but for us um their hearts and their ears were definitely open. So, we're looking forward to continuing the conversation.

[00:03:16]>> Bridget Andrew Clenel here. Um, should Susan Lee have quit this seat? I mean, what she's got different from a lot of you MPs? I believe she was elected in 2001. She's on the old pension scheme.

[00:03:28]So, it's all very well for her, as Laura Jay's just said, to be on some Greyhound bus uh with a punk rock t-shirt or record or whatever it is. But I just wonder if your personal view whether you think she shouldn't have served out the full term because she's she looks like she's about to cause the coalition a lot of pain here and it's a bit of an FU to Angus Taylor it seems to me.

[00:03:50]>> Uh you know Andrew thanks for like laying down that runway for me but I'm not going to pick that bait up. Uh I'm not going to commentate on the internals of the Liberal Party. I've been in parliament for 15 years and been part of the coalition leadership team since 2017 and uh that would not be good uh going forward for a senior leader to be doing that. But um that's Susan's call. But on the booze and as I've traveled around through this campaign, there was um discontent locally um with her decision, but also with how things have played out on the ground. So I'm not going to that's done. We've got to move forward and we've got to actually be serious about a political party that wants a future in the 21st century delivering for communities like this in a future government and that's what we're about.

[00:04:40]>> Good day Bridget Joel Fitzgibbon. Hope you're well enjoying yourself.

[00:04:44]>> Oh Joel, finally the Labour Party turns up to Farah.

[00:04:50]>> I'm doing my bit. I I've got two quick questions for you. Uh one, uh will this election >> change water policy? in the Murray Darling Basin and two, can the Naps beat the libs tonight?

[00:05:06]>> I think we're going to see some interesting results um depending on the booths between the two coalition partners, bearing in mind we haven't run for a quarter of a century. And so it's a big ask for the National Party to beat the home team, the Liberal Party here.

[00:05:23]Uh we are a strong coalition on water policy. Uh Joel, I would beg you to actually strongarm the Labor Party, environment minister, water minister, and prime minister to actually change the water policy that they've implemented. They've come after our 450 gig liter here that was only meant to be taken if it wasn't going to cause socioeconomic damage. And I can tell you that ship sailed a few years ago. These communities are decimated. They're going to be sending CRA a very strong message tonight on water policy because if we care about the environment, we've got enough water from this basin to get great environmental outcomes, use science better uh without decimating our agricultural productive capacity. So, it's not about whether water policy change because the only people that can change water policy is the government and I'd urge them to do so. They'll get my support in the Senate. Until 2022, you're in government for 12 years >> and we didn't control the Senate. Joel would have loved your support.

[00:06:35]>> Neither does the Labour Party.

[00:06:39]>> Anyway, good luck. Good luck.

[00:06:42]>> Thanks.

[00:06:42]>> I like that. He's genuine about it, too, Bridget. Thanks for that. The talk to you say.