The WA Nationals pick their State Election ticket

The WA Nationals have endorsed sitting Upper House members Colin de Grussa and Martin Aldridge for next year’s State election but the pair will trade places on the party’s Agricultural region ticket.

Mr de Grussa, a third-generation farmer at Esperance, will take over the top spot after first being elected to the Legislative Council at the 2017 election.

Mr Aldridge, who was first elected in 2013, has been bumped to second on the ticket but is expected to retain a seat in the Upper House.

City of Greater Geraldton councillor Natasha Colliver has been preselected for the party’s third spot on the ticket.

In the Mining and Pastoral region, mining industry workers Nick Fardell and Daiva Gillam will lead the party’s hopes of retaining a seat.

The WA Nationals hold one member from the Mining and Pastoral region but current deputy leader Jacqui Boydell has announced she will retire at the end of the current term.

Former WA National Federal MP for O’Connor Tony Crook has been preselected third for the party for the Mining and Pastoral region.

Mr Fardell, a local businessman in Kalgoorlie, took his “Big Nick Can” campaign across the State last year in a bid to become the Nationals’ first WA senator in more than 42 years.

While Mr Fardell did not win the seat, WA Nationals leader Mia Davies said the support he earned during his campaign meant he was well-positioned to succeed.

“We have a very strong Mining and Pastoral ticket and Nick is well known out here from his Senate tilt last year and is raring to go,” she said.

“He has great connections because of that effort in the Federal election, he understands what it is we are trying to achieve and why it’s important to have the Nationals at the table.”

Ms Davies said she was looking forward to working with the candidates to provide a “strong voice” for regional areas.

“I’m pleased our State Council preselected local champions committed to regional WA and to restoring the integrity of Royalties for Regions, which has been under attack from the Labor Government,” she said.

Nominations for the South West region will open after the party preselects for the Lower House seat of Albany.