The Chiko Roll has divided Australians for decades — and now it is dividing the nation’s Parliament.

Three MPs claim their town — and their town alone — as the savoury snack’s true home.

The regional rivalries were unleashed after NSW Nationals MP Andrew Gee staked Bathurst’s claim in his first speech to Federal Parliament.

“If it’s Tic Tacs or Nutella that you enjoy … well they were definitely made in Lithgow,” the Member for Calare said.

“Or if Australia’s iconic Chiko Roll is more to your liking … well they were made in Bathurst.”

Politicians from Bendigo in Victoria and Wagga Wagga in NSW swiftly asserted their towns’ rights to call the processed food their own.

“It was launched at the 1951 Wagga Wagga Agricultural Society Show!” Nationals Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, told ABC News.

“We have in our Riverina Museum in Wagga Wagga the Gold Chiko Roll given to us by the manufacturers, acknowledging the fact that Wagga Wagga is home of the Chiko Roll.”

Labor’s Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters dubbed the Chiko Roll’s identity theft “outrageous”.

“It’s just outrageous that these NSW MPs … can try and claim credit for the Chiko Roll … it was invented in Bendigo by a Bendigonian,” she said.

“I’d strongly request the National Party to do their research, at least start with the back of the packet; it says on the back of the packet that the Chiko Roll was born in Bendigo.”

Monaro, baggy green, Chiko Roll ‘part of Australia’s history’

Frank McEncroe changed the face of Australian takeaway after inventing the fast food around 1950.

Mr McEncroe was born in Castlemaine before working in Bendigo as a boilermaker who also sold food at country shows.

In 1951, he offered the first Chiko Roll for sale at the Wagga Wagga show.

Food company Simplot now manufactures it in Bathurst.

“It’s part of Australia’s history, it’s up there with, for example, with the Monaro, the white farm ute, the baggy green, you’ve got the Chiko Roll,” Mr Gee said.

“We certainly don’t begrudge Wagga its piece of Chiko history, but the reality is the home of the Chiko Roll is Bathurst and it has been in Bathurst since 1995.”

Mr McCormack — also the Minister for Small Business — said he had previously proven Wagga Wagga’s commitment to the snack, which includes beef, carrot and cabbage (among other ingredients).

“It’s so iconic, and everybody loves a Chiko Roll, I even ate one last year frozen and I did it for a promotion when that spurious claim by the Member for Bendigo [was made about the roll],” he said.

“I actually think we might have to go to the [House of Representatives] Speaker for a bit of intervention here, clearly this is an issue that’s been elevated,” Ms Chesters replied.

Freshly-minted federal MP Andrew Gee told Parliament he thought the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, was a Chiko Roll fan.

“I just got that by sizing him up I thought, ‘yep, PM, he’s a Chiko man’,” Mr Gee said.

Mr McCormack agreed. “It’s a given,” he said.

Mr Gee continued, “Barnaby [Joyce], there’s a Chiko Roll man … most National Party members would be Chiko Roll aficionados, let’s face it.”

The Calare MP — formerly a NSW state politician — said he would invite the Liberal and National Party leaders to Bathurst to “capture their own little piece of Chiko history”.

– ABC