BARNABY Joyce says he'll be preferencing the Christian Democrats first on his ballot paper, bucking the deal his Coalition colleagues made with Clive Palmer's United Australia Party (UAP).
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Mr Joyce said he would preference New England UAP candidate Cindy Duncan "somewhere around the middle".
"To be quite frank, I don't know her," Mr Joyce said.
"I'll be preferencing the Christian Democrats first, they're decent people."
When the Leader contacted Christian Democratic Party (CDP) candidate Julie Collins, she wasn't aware of Mr Joyce's decision.
"I haven't met him, but I'm pleased he thinks we are fairly decent people of integrity - I certainly think of myself as a person of integrity," she said.
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"I've have yet to decide where my preferences will go."
Following the CDP, Mr Joyce said he would probably preference independent Rob Taber.
"Even though he's my competition I think he's a decent person," Mr Joyce said.
"I also believe [independent] Adam Blakester is a decent person, and I definitely won't be putting him last. He's conducting himself in a decent way.
"The group furthest from my world view is the Greens, given their strong socialist view of politics."
Mr Blakester said as an independent, he wouldn't be directing any preferences.
"We're just saying to our supporters, think about it wisely," he said.
If he was elected in to a hung parliament, Mr Blakester said he come back to the community with what the options were, and leave the decision in the hands of the electorate.
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
