Have you heard about the candidate for Pauline Hanson's One Nation who has an anarchy symbol proudly tattooed across his muscled chest?
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Or the Senate candidate for Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party who said of his 2017 conviction for assaulting police and choking an RSPCA inspector: "If no one in the Senate brings a malicious case and steals my dog in front of my children, I probably won't choke anybody there."
Or what some patrons at the Commercial Hotel in Dubbo said on Friday night when Prime Minister Scott Morrison dropped in for a schooner and a round of selfies?
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Serving regional, rural and suburban communities, the ACM network stretches into every state and territory.
From the Katherine Times in the Northern Territory and the Port Lincoln Times in South Australia, to the Avon Valley Advocate in Attorney-General Christian Porter's marginal Western Australian seat of Pearce and Mount Isa's North West Star in the dusty red heart of Bob Katter country, the local journalists, photographers and editors of ACM are reporting daily on the people, places and election issues that matter to communities around the nation.
Our team at Tamworth's Northern Daily Leader are closest to the action in New England, where controversial former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce hangs his hat. Further south in Wagga Wagga, The Daily Advertiser is keeping tabs on Joyce's successor as Nats leader, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who appears to face fewer challengers as the Member for Riverina on May 18 than he does within his own besieged party.
On the NSW North Coast, the Port Macquarie News and Kempsey's Macleay Argus are reporting on Rob Oakeshott's attempted parliamentary comeback in the seat of Cowper. On the NSW South Coast, where former Labor Party national president Warren Mundine has been parachuted by the Liberals into the hot seat of Gilmore, editor John Hanscombe and the South Coast Register team have their fingers on the electorate's pulse.
In the ever-swinging Tasmanian seats of Bass and Braddon, The Examiner in Launceston and The Advocate on the island state's north-west coast are reporting daily on the Morrison government's determined efforts to win both back from Labor, and on former senator Jacqui Lambie's tussle for the state's sixth Senate spot.
On the NSW-Victorian border, The Border Mail is following independent Cathy McGowan's anointed successor Dr Helen Haines in the electorate of Indi and Liberal MP Sussan Ley's tight battle with independent Kevin Mack in the neighbouring seat of Farrer.
Your regular Voice of regional Australia newsletter will bring together local election updates from such trusted mastheads as the Newcastle Herald, The Land, The Canberra Times, The Courier in Ballarat and Queensland Country Life.
Curated by ACM's editors and journalists around the country, we'll deliver you the election stories that matter from the local seats that count as Australia counts down to polling day on May 18.
And we promise to avoid any more pictures of Scott Morrison kicking a football or Bill Shorten jogging.
- James Joyce is executive editor of Australian Community Media.
