Nats waiting for one piece of information before choosing Calare candidate

The party retained the seat when voters went to the polls in May, 2022, but lost it just seven months later when sitting MP Andrew Gee abruptly left the party to become an independent.

He cited the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which he and the Nationals had conflicting views on, as the primary reason for his decision.

"I can't reconcile the fact that every Australian will get a free vote on the vitally important issue of the Voice, yet National Party MPs are expected to fall into line behind a party position that I fundamentally disagree with, and vote accordingly in Parliament," Mr Gee said at the time.

Since then, the party has taken pot-shots at Mr Gee whenever the opportunity arises.

Nationals leader David Littleproud has made it no secret he wants to win back Calare, seeing it as an essential part of the strategy to defeat the Albanese government at the anticipated 2025 election.

"Politics is the brutal game of arithmetic so the only way for Australia to rid themselves of an Albanese government is for the Nationals to win in Calare, otherwise there will be three more years of Labor," he said.

Mr Gee is expected to run for re-election in 2025, so when will the Nats pick their candidate to take him on?

Mr Littleproud has indicated the party will move quickly, but first it needs to know of any potential changes to the electoral boundaries affecting Calare.

Most of the federal divisions in NSW are expected to be altered in some way after the entitlement determination in July, 2023 confirmed the number of NSW seats in the House of Representatives will decrease from 47 to 46.

"Once there is an indication of the proposed boundary changes early next year, The Nationals will start the pre-selection process for a candidate that local members will decide," Mr Littleproud said.

The Nats held Calare from 2007 up until Mr Gee left the party on December 23, 2022.