13.04.2021
3 min read

Proud coal miner Labor's Upper Hunter pick

NSW Labor has named its candidate for the May 22 by-election in Upper Hunter as a new poll shows most voters in the area back a moratorium on coal mines.
Tiffanie TurnbullBy Tiffanie Turnbull
NSW Opposition Leader Jodi McKay is set to announce Labor's contender for the Upper Hunter.

NSW Labor will not support a ban on new coal mines in the Upper Hunter, despite new polling ahead of a hotly-contested by-election indicating most voters in the area want one.

Opposition Leader Jodi McKay made the pledge while announcing the party's candidate for the regional seat, former coal miner and CFMEU mining and energy district vice president Jeff Drayton.

"We do not support a moratorium on coal mines, let's get that out of the way," she said on Tuesday.

Stream your local 7NEWS free on 7plus 7plus

The Australia Institute poll of 668 people in the electorate found 57.4 per cent support for a moratorium on new coal mine approvals and a remediation plan for existing mines in the Hunter Valley, against 35.1 per cent who oppose the measures.

The moratorium call was recently made by ex-Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and preceded his dumping last week as the NSW coalition government's new climate economy chief.

Both Ms McKay and "proud coal miner" Mr Drayton dismissed the poll.

"I must be talking to a different 600 (people)," Mr Drayton said.

Ms McKay denied the proclamation damaged her party's standing on climate change and environmental issues.

"What frustrates me... is that if you're in this corner, supposedly you can't accept that corner," she said.

"We need to be pursuing renewable energy, we all know that, but we also need to make sure that we're protecting jobs in the coal industry."

Mr Drayton said he was sick of people demonising coal workers.

"Every time I open the newspaper, every time I turn the TV on, I see someone having a go at coal miners," he said.

"That has to stop and I'm gonna fight bloody hard to make sure it does."

Mr Drayton said he did not know the other candidates for the seat, but argued he understood the electorate better than any of them did.

"This election will be difficult for us to win, Labor hasn't held the seat for more than 90 years."

"(But) I've spent my whole 51 years in the electorate... I understand the electorate better than anyone."

Mr Drayton's selection again frames the May 22 by-election battle firmly around coal.

The Nationals last week picked a little-known construction manager David Layzell as their hope to retain the seat, while local businesswoman and president of the Singleton Business Chamber Sue Gilroy will run as the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party candidate.

One Nation is also expected to contest the by-election but their candidate has not yet been announced.

All candidates have been quick to pump up their credentials on coal, but Ms McKay also highlighted manufacturing and education as key issues.

Labor has accused the coalition government of abandoning the area's manufacturing industry, and pointed to the recent sale of the Scone TAFE campus as evidence of a lack of commitment to regional jobs and education.

The by-election was sparked by Nationals MP Michael Johnsen's resignation on March 31 after he was accused of raping a woman in 2019, which he denies.

It's expected to be a tight race despite the Nationals and its predecessor party holding the electorate for nearly a century.

The seat was whittled away to a 2.6 per cent margin in 2019, when Mr Johnsen scooped up 34 per cent of first preferences.

Labor trailed on 28.6 per cent and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party candidate earned 22 per cent.

If the government loses the seat it will have the difficult task of governing in minority status until the next election, which isn't due until March 2023.