‘Prepared to put it all on the line’: The ‘handsome mayor’ hoping to fend off One Nation in this key seat

The Nationals have pinned their hopes of retaining the state seat of Shepparton on a high-profile local mayor, as the Coalition braces for a fight to maintain its powerful foothold in the region.

The Goulburn Valley electorate is shaping up as one of the most interesting battlegrounds ahead of the November state election, with concerns running high in the community over cost of living, infrastructure, crime and roads.

Despite the area’s deep multicultural history and the reliance on migrant workers for parts of the local economy, immigration has also become a tension point and a drawcard for Pauline Hanson’s party.

One Nation leads the Coalition on primary vote in northern regional parts of Victoria, like Shepparton, and could unseat the Nationals, according to polling conducted for The Age. The electorate borders on the federal NSW seat of Farrer, where earlier this year One Nation unseated the Coalition in a byelection.

Enter Shane Sali: the respected, chisel-jawed, broad-shouldered mayor who was recently appointed the Nationals’ candidate. Sali filled the role left by retiring MP Kim O’Keefe and gave up his powerful gig on council to try and fend off the rise of One Nation and keep the seat in Coalition hands.

“I know I can be a good representative for our community at a state level ... and I’m prepared to put it all on the line,” Sali told The Age.

The Salis are a distinguished family in Shepparton, with connections to the retail, transport and agricultural sectors. Sali’s personal profile rose further during his time as mayor.

Even his political opponents concede he looks the part of a leader.

“He’s very popular. He’s very tall and handsome,” said independent candidate Lou Costa. “It seems to go a long way.”

There is a sense in the electorate that Shepparton hasn’t got its fair share from the state government. The roads and in poor condition, cancer patients must travel to Melbourne for treatment because the local hospital lacks the facilities, and the bus network is outdated.

Shepparton was once a Nationals’ stronghold and was held by the party for almost its entire 70-year history year, until independent Suzanna Sheed upended the political logic and won consecutive terms in 2014 and 2018.

Cost-of-living pressures coupled with tensions over immigration suggests the seat could swing once again from the Nationals, including to One Nation.

One Nation is running CFA volunteer and veteran Phillip Bryant, who lives in the town of Dookie. The party said Bryant was unavailable for an interview and also denied it had banned its Victorian candidates from speaking to the media.

One Nation already has a presence in town, with upper house MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell’s electorate office in the heart of Shepparton.

Pollster and founder of Resolve Jim Reed said the party performed the best the further they get away from central Melbourne “so are competitive right now in the regions”.

“In particular, they lead the Coalition on primary vote in the north of the state.”

Costa said the interest in One Nation locally was at an all-time high.

“I’ve never heard so many people wanting to try something new, and that’s what One Nation are offering.”

Sheed, the former MP, said it was impossible to discount One Nation’s chances in Shepparton, though it was too early to tell. She handed out how-to-vote cards at the Farrer byelection and was surprised to see colleagues from her days in the water industry backing One Nation.

“But when you think about it, at least One Nation was saying the things they wanted to hear, even though they have absolutely no capacity to deliver it,” Sheed said.

She said the party’s hardline stance on immigration, which could play into the anger and fear of some voters, also showed it did not understand the key role of migrants in Shepparton’s industries, including agriculture.

“We’ll be heading into the cherries in November, and then we’ll be heading into the apricots, and then the peaches and the pears, and it’s our backpackers and migrant population that do so much of that work.”

Sali, whose family emigrated from Albania to Shepparton 99 years ago, said migrants made a significant contribution to the city, but a balanced approach was needed on immigration policy.

“I’ve always been brought up … that you respect, you work hard, and you find way to contribute. And if we have people come to our country ... and continue to uphold those values, we will continue to have unity.”

He said voters considering One Nation because they felt fed up with mainstream politics and wanted change should trust the Coalition to best improve their lives.

“I’ve put my hand up because I’m frustrated too. I want to see change too, right?” Sali said.

“You can be frustrated, you can be angry, you can point fingers, you can make comments, but none of that will fix the potholes. None of that will build a cancer centre. None of that will support cost of living ... I focus my energy on what I can deliver.”

Sali said his time on the council had given him a front-row seat to “just how dysfunctional and how neglected the regions have been” under 12 years of Labor rule.

“Labor have turned our state upside down ... I’m speaking to people about what we can do to get our state back on track.”

Sheed said she believed Sali would “have a strong commitment to working for Shepparton” but was disappointed he didn’t run as an independent, as some had tipped.

“I don’t doubt that he’s thought it through from his point of view. But I would think he would also attract a lot of support.”

Sheed said for voters who felt disenchanted with the major parties, independent candidate Costa offered a more progressive alternative than One Nation.

“I think she will be welcomed by a lot of people as some someone who is providing a place that they can quite comfortably park their vote with.”

Costa, a landscape architect who has never been a member of a political party, lives 15 kilometres outside the electorate but grew up in Shepparton.

The daughter of Italian migrants, she’s campaigning on cost of living, access to healthcare and social cohesion.

“You know that the people are my party,” she said. “You know I don’t have to answer to a party in Melbourne.”

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