There is a local independent up in the mallee trying his best to balance regional issues with those of wider Australia/global ie climate change. He got a decent chunk of the vote for a first timer.Ohhhh I'm not appealing for an agrarian society....HELL No!
I'm simply trying to point out why country people vote for the National Party.
And whilst I currently speak for my town of 3100 souls...two years ago, I lived near a regional city of 35,000 with a district population of 60,000 people...and it faced exactly the same issues. And guess what? Safest Federal National Party seat in the country... previous bloke got tossed cause of some spectacular indiscretions of a personal nature whilst at the same time shifting on marriage equality. Nationals put up someone else...voted in with increased majority...
Whinge, bitch and moan about the Nationals all you like but the punters out here still vote for them and one of them is your Deputy Prime Minister...so what are you going to do about it?
Not sure why being a rusted on National voter is seen as any less worthy than the same Lib/lab voter. Sawp the voters all around and change their unbringing and you would problem get the same result.