Chairman of the Burrinjuck Nats James Harker-Mortlock has announced he will contest the next federal election as an independent.

However, he won’t be shedding his conservative colours.

He will direct all of his second preferences to the Liberals and says if he is elected he will seek a seat in the Nationals’ party room.

Mr Harker-Motlock says the Coalition agreement left a lot of local Nats feeling confused and jaded. They had been keen to regain the seat since they lost it to the current Member for Hume in 1998. The local branch had been told numerous times by the powers that be that they would be given the opportunity to run a candidate.

But when the state executive agreed not to run against the young Liberal, who has been touted by his own party as ‘future leadership material’, they saw their opportunity to regain the seat quickly evaporate. If Taylor’s career is as long and prosperous as he hopes, it could potentially deprive local Nats of a crack at the seat for another 20 odd years.

“(I decided to run because I thought we needed) another point of view provided in the campaign…” he said.

“There are policy differences between the Nationals and the Liberal Party at a federal level.”

Mr Harker-Motlock’s decision hasn’t gone down well with some on the opposite side of the Coalition, especially Alby Schultz, who last week told the Yass Tribune that if the Nats didn’t take action against him it send a “loud and clear message that his actions are being condoned”.

He also said it was a “legally binding agreement”.

“I’ve contacted senior members of the Liberal Party from Tony Abbot down. While Harker-Mortlock is a member of the National Party, he cannot run against an endorsed Liberal Party candidate, under the agreement,” Mr Schultz said.

However, Mr Harker-Mortlock disagrees, telling the Post the NSW Constitution of the Party only talks about the inability of a member to run against an endorsed National Party candidate.

He said there was no mention of an endorsed Liberal Party candidate or “Coalition” candidate.

While this may be technically correct it may not be what ultimately decides his fate.

When the Post contacted Nationals state president Ben Franklin on Friday, he said the central executive would decide what action take based on Clause 7.4.2, which states that no member can do anything to bring discredit to or embarrass the party.

Mr Harker-Mortlock remains optimistic about his chances at the election and believes he is better suited for the job than Taylor because of his focus on rural communities.

“The problem for Liberal candidates is that they are in a party room dominated by Liberals elected predominantly from the cities and suburbs,” he said.

“That’s fine. That’s their priority but when it comes to the bush they are often neglected. As an independent I would want to be actively promoting the interests of the area.”

Mr Harker-Mortlock believed while “the basics” had been provided for Hume by Liberal representatives in the past, major transport and infrastructure projects had been neglected, siting the Barton Highway duplication as an example.

“I think you need federal assistance in order to make more happen within the electorate,” he said.

He is concerned by the developing trend to set aside the interests of the community in favour of big business and big government.

Mr Harker-Mortlock says he is well versed in the issues confronting Hume and has drawn up a 22 point policy platform. He also believes his 33 year political experience will help him too.

“I have travelled extensively throughout the electorate, often staying in local pubs, attending local shows and officiating at meetings of the National Party. This has provided me with invaluable experience in getting a feel for Hume and its people. In 2010, I visited almost every town and village in the electorate, delivering National Party materials to business owners,” he said.

“As a member of the Central Council Natural Resources and Energy Policy Committee of the NSW Nationals, I have been involved closely in reviewing National Party policy in areas directly related to the interests of rural Australians – coal seam gas mining, strategic agricultural lands, wind turbine farm development, alternative energies, and many more. This has put me in touch directly with the concerns of the electors of Hume.

“In Yass, I have been involved with the Farmers’ Action Group lobbying for reform of the Livestock Health and Pest Authority (LHPA).

“Having been a single parent bringing up two children who were living with me from the ages of 7 through to 17, I am very well aware of the hard yards facing single parents rearing children… “I believe strongly that I am very well prepared to be a forceful and effective federal Member of Parliament representing the interests of the people of Hume. My wide ranging experience of real life, my business and farming background and my long involvement at multiple levels in the world of politics sets me apart from other potential and existing candidates for the seat of Hume.”