^{20 JUNE 2022}

CANDIDATES have been declared by the Australian Electoral Commission in the division of Nicholls, which covers the Gippsland area. At the ballot draw tonight, which was attended by Gippsland Times journalists, incumbent model-frod of the Country Labor Party drew the top spot. Frod has held the seat since the December 2021 election (first being elected in a June 2021 by-election), having since seen off challenges from BryantMP and stuck_on_the_mun, both of the Commonwealth Party.

This time around, however, the Commonwealth Party is endorsing Boyrauty, a newcomer to the local area. Boyrauty previously ran to represent Brisbane for the National Party at the January 2021 election. Cody5200 will also be standing on behalf of the Liberal National Party. Previously, Cody5200 has been a member of the Country Labor Party, having run for them at the unwinnable fourth position in the December 2021 election.

The wildcard in the race, however, is model-kyosanto, the former MP for Nicholls running as an independent. While this journalist did not attempt to reach out to model-kyosanto for comment as she finds him personally noxious and insufferable, he has been listed as one of the founding members of the "Australia First Party", which did not register in time for the election.

In its founding charter, the Australia First Party promises to "combat [...] degradation of the left wing of Australian politics", and "bring egoless, no-nonsense progressive politics back to Australia as a genuine political option".

Given the very recent emergence of the new party, it is viewed as relatively unlikely that they will be able to make significant impact in the coming federal election. However, model-kyosanto's significant local profile may help him in a field of relative unknowns, and give him the potential to rise to the two-candidate-preferred.

Gippsland-based Senator model-putrid, widely percieved as being a popular figure in the area, has chosen not to run for the seat of Nicholls, instead seeking re-election to the Senate as the lead Socialist candidate. In a statement to the Gippsland Times, she said "I love my local area and hope I can continue to represent it in the coming Parliament. My place at the moment, I believe, is in the Senate, acting as a sensible check on the House of Representatives, and working to achieve positive changes for Gippsland."

The Senator additionally urged locals to reject the CPA, stating "the Commonwealth Party is sticking beside 12MaxWild despite strong evidence suggesting he may have both violated criminal law and committed corrupt conduct, and are refusing to support investigations into his behaviour. If you vote for Boyrauty in Nicholls, you are voting to put 12MaxWild back in a position where he can blackmail foreign leaders for his own political gain."

Story by Alison Brooks.