The federal National party candidate for Calare and state member for Orange Andrew Gee has hit back at claims which he says are misleading over his support of councils and their communities in the merger debate.
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Wellington was merged on May 12 with Dubbo and the Cabonne and Oberon landmark case in the NSW Land and Environment Court gets under way on Tuesday.
"I have never once voted in favour of amalgamations. Not once. Not ever. I'm proud of my voting record and I stand by it," Mr Gee stated.
"All Mr Jennings' claims amount to is more misleading petty political piffle from Labor. No legislation on amalgamations has ever come before the NSW Parliament and there has never been a vote on it. It's gone straight from the Cabinet room to the Governor's office.
The Labor candidate Jess Jennings said Mr Andrew Gee's behaviour was duplicitous in the extreme.
"Andrew Gee MP has stated publicly - countless times - that he totally opposes his own NSW LNP government's position to force council amalgamations, but he has never once crossed the floor or voted to oppose the NSW governments process of forced amalgamations.
In fact he has voted to support forced amalgamations in Macquarie Street," Mr Jennings said.
Mr Jennings says on at least five occassions Mr Gee had failed to support the councils.
But the national party candidate, who is a strong favourite to win the safe seat which includes Wellington, said the labor candidate was muck raking and failed to understand government procedures.
"The motions that Mr Jennings refers to are merely procedural motions that get flung around the Parliament every day of the week. Mr Jennings clearly has a few issues when it comes to reading transcripts because if he did read them properly he would see that the motions he speaks of were simply either debates about what to debate, were not actually voted on, weren't about Cabonne, or were votes I abstained from.
Jennings fired up the third week of the campaign in the central west claiming the National party candidate had voted.
"Mr Gee, and the National Party, is treating the voters of Calare like complete mugs and morons by saying one thing to their face at home in the electorate, and then directly betraying them in Macquarie Street by voting for forced amalgamations and obviously hoping no one will notice. He must be exposed," he said.
The NSW Land and Environment Court has already thrown out one case and experts believe the chances of the council's winning is slim, but councils who have been merged are watching the decision.
If Cabonne and Oberon win the case, the state government mergers may come into question in Wellington and Dubbo.
Council amalgamations have been deeply unpopular in Calare, especially in Oberon, Molong, Blayney, Cabonne and Wellington - all of which have been either already been or are slated to be forcibly merged pending court cases.
"I think the people of Cabonne are smart enough to know who is fighting for them and who isn't," Mr Gee said.
"The cold hard truth is that Mr Jennings has not lifted a finger to help Cabonne, Wellington, Blayney or Oberon in any of their fights against amalgamation.
"Mr Jennings only seems to have found his voice at election time, despite having ample opportunity to attend any number of public rallies, make submissions, or speak at the recent delegate's hearings.
"I can sleep soundly at night knowing I did everything I could for Cabonne, but I don't think others can say the same thing," Mr Gee concluded.
