SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Barnaby rallies Nats 'killer canaries'

Barnaby Joyce says while the Nationals may not have the best social media campaigns or capacity to nab front pages, they do have people power.

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Barnaby Joyce has issued a rallying cry to volunteers in his bid to retain marginal Nationals seats through word-of-mouth campaigns.

The Nationals leader on Wednesday will campaign in the seat of Page, held by Kevin Hogan on a 3.1 per cent margin.

Page is at threat of a Labor resurgence led by Janelle Saffin who held the seat from 2007 to 2013.

Mr Joyce, who is facing a similar fight in his electorate of New England with the return of independent Tony Windsor, acknowledges both he and Mr Hogan have a tough fight ahead.

But he's rallied supporters - dubbed the "killer canaries" due to their bright yellow T-shirts - to do their best to keep both seats in the hands of the country party.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The deputy prime minister conceded while the Nationals may not have the best social media campaign or the ability to nab newspaper front pages, the party did have old-school tricks.

"The most powerful thing you ever have in politics is your people," Mr Joyce told a group of volunteers in Casino, near Lismore, NSW.

"Every one of you knows five, six, seven people - you change votes."

Mr Joyce will make a sports funding announcement in Lismore before travelling to Bundaberg for a street walk and then on to Gympie.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world