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Helen Dalton considers Farrer by-election bid

By Contributed

Feb 18, 2026

Independent state Member for Murray Helen Dalton says she has “not ruled out contesting the upcoming by-election in the seat of Farrer”.

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“I will listen to what the people of Farrer have to say about the by-election,” Mrs Dalton said, after the resignation on Friday by Member for Farrer Sussan Ley.

“My mobile has been burning up since Sussan announced she was leaving politics,” Mrs Dalton said.

“I understand that the people of my region want their voices to be heard and whatever I decide to do, I will be doing it to make sure their voices are a lot louder.

“While the calls for me to run are heartfelt, I need to make sure that whatever I do will give the people of my region the best possible representation.

“That might be in federal politics or it might be in state politics. I have some serious thinking to do.”

Mrs Dalton said people in rural Australia do not feel like they are being properly represented by their political leaders.

“To me, that is the take home message of this moment. Rural Australians are the heart and soul of this country and yet we continue to be ignored by state and federal governments.

“For now, I will continue to talk to the people in my region to get a better gauge of what they want.”

Mrs Dalton paid tribute to Ms Ley and wished her all the best for the future after 25 years representing the Farrer electorate.