A tale of two independents

Despite splits, realignments and name changes, the contest for office in New South Wales has been recognisably two-sided since shortly before the Great War. Yet minor parties and Independents have stubbornly retained a foothold, alongside the major contest. Only from 1930 to 1935 did NSW elections fail to return at least one minor party candidate or Independent, though many had this status only because of preselection problems with a major party. Generally, Independents have been local notables, acceptable even without a party label because of a personal record in local government or regional affairs. They have survived, sometimes triumphed like Richard Torbay (Northern Tablelands), simply because voters have seen them as effective spokesmen for local and regional interests. Earlier Bill McCarthy held the same electorate, a difficult one for Labor, not simply because he represented Labor but also because he displayed a healthy streak of "independence" in the same cause. The appeal of this approach is by no means new, but it has recently been growing, as regions come more and more to feel neglected.