Our say | Waiting for Labor to enter its new contender

A date for the federal election has yet to be called, but already candidates for the seat of Calare are making themselves known.

So far, we know for certain that three candidates will challenge incumbent Andrew Gee.

There's Kate Hook, an Orange businesswoman who is running as an independent, and Stacey Whittaker, another businesswoman, this time from Bathurst, who will be the candidate for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.

Clive Palmer's United Australia Party has announced that Adam Jannis, a self-described health educator, will be their candidate for Calare.

But what about The Greens, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, and, importantly, the Australian Labor Party?

While the Shooters, Fishes and Farmers attracted a strong share of the votes in the last election in Calare, Labor continues to be the party in the best position to challenge The Nationals.

Labor attracted 27 per cent of the first preference votes in 2016 and then 22.1 per cent in 2019 - a drop in support, but still well ahead of the minor parties.

Jess Jennings has long been the candidate for Labor, his name appearing on the ballot paper at the last three federal elections.

However, he confirmed he won't run again in 2022, leaving the door wide open for another Labor man or woman to come forward.

But who will that person be?

Part of the reason Mr Jennings isn't running a fourth time is because Calare continues to present as a Nationals safe seat.

If the situation was different, he said, he would have considered another tilt.

Mr Gee was more popular in the 2019 election than he was in 2016 in the two candidate preferred vote, with a 1.48 per cent swing against Mr Jennings.

Although the bookies are favouring Labor to be in the majority after the election, it's clear the party will need to do something spectacular if it wants to win over Calare voters.

The first step is to announce a good candidate.

The second is to start campaigning.

So far, it seems, neither of those things are happening, and that could hurt Labor in the long run when it puts forward a first-time candidate Calare voters are unfamiliar with.