Rock idols and polly hopefuls

Australian Idol star Shannon Noll’s song “What About Me?” could well be a theme for Geraldton’s three Senate election hopefuls tomorrow.

Noll is expected to belt out the tune on stage at Redhill tomorrow, just as Shane Van Styn (Nat), Shane Hill (ALP) and Jane Foreman (RUA) weigh their prospects.

All three have been written off by election analysts as 77 candidates vie for just six WA seats, with Mr Van Styn rated the best local chance of winning.

As the countdown to the election drew closer yesterday, the National Party’s Barnaby Joyce phoned the Guardian to back Mr Van Styn’s campaign.

Mr Joyce, the Federal Agriculture Minister and member for New England, talked up the National candidate’s prospects.

“I was completely disregarded as an election chance in 2004, but the people of re-gional Queensland thought differently and I got in,” he said.

“Shane is the only chance WA has of getting a regional Senate office.

“You have got the choice of having a Senate representative for the City of Perth or a Senator for WA.”

Mr Joyce, like Mr Van Styn a former accountant and bouncer, said the Geraldton candidate had the intelligence and no-nonsense approach to perform “extremely well” in the Senate.

“As a country person he’s more robust — not like someone who’s been bubble wrapped, working in some political office or union and served up as your elected representative,” he said.

“He’s quiet, a big lump of a lad, he’s no fool.

“I think he’d do extremely well.

“He’s robust, intelligent, experienced in business and parochially WA. As an accountant, I think that makes him more truly qualified to serve in Parliament than most.

“And in such a large State, it would be nice to have a Senate office in the region.

“It’s something for people to think about in the next couple of days.

“Perth can have five Senators, but give one of them to regional WA.”

One thing’s for sure. In light of Clive Palmer’s previous protestations and remembering Noll’s hit song, there will be next to no chance of any candidates saying “It isn’t fair” this time around.