FOR a safe Labor seat, sitting plum in the middle of the party’s western suburban heartland, the electorate of Keilor certainly has a lot of tongues wagging in the lead up to this year’s State Election – mostly for the wrong reasons.
Allegations of branch stacking, fraud and political dirty tricks have become hot conversation topics out West, and Keilor is right in the middle of the chit-chat.
Most of the controversy surrounds long-time incumbent Labor MP George Seitz, who, having held the seat of Keilor for more than 24 years, has worn himself an almost indestructible position on the parliamentary backbench.
Earlier this year, Victoria Police launched a probe into claims – raised by an opposition MP – that Mr Seitz misappropriated some of the $375,000 he made from community bingo games back in the 1990s.
Some of the money was used to stack Labor branches and buy a house in Portarlington, according to newspaper reports, but police are looking into where the rest of the money has gone.
Mr Seitz is not commenting on the ongoing police investigation in the lead up to the 25 November poll, aside from saying he denies the “allegations that have been circulating in the media” about him, describing them as “purely political publicity”.
The Keilor electorate includes the suburbs of Keilor Downs, Taylors Lakes, Taylors Hill, Sydenham, Hillside and Delahey, and going on last election figures includes close to 38,000 registered voters.
Labor may hold Keilor by the strong margin of 18.05 per cent, but Mr Seitz was still happy to pour cold water on his chances come 25 November.
“Every election is a new election,” Mr Seitz told Star last week, insisting that Labor could not take the vote in the West for granted.
But his Liberal opponent John Clifford is running on exactly that criticism: that Labor has neglected the West for far too long.
“Right throughout my whole life I’ve been let down by the people who represent us,” Mr Clifford told Star, which he says is why he’s taking up the almost impossible task of trying to unseat Mr Seitz.
He admits it’s a tough ask, but said speaking to the communities of Sydenham and Hillside about issues like education, transport and roads has given him a feeling that the tide could turn against Labor this election.
“They’re glad to have an alternative voice in the community,” Mr Clifford said, saying that he has been fighting for a new secondary school in the Hillside area, and would make it his No.1 priority if elected.
Mr Seitz said he was proud of the Labor Party’s record over its past six years in government, but said the electorate was most buoyed by Labor’s commitment to health, education and infrastructure issues.
“A lot of bread and butter issues have been delivered (in the last four years),” Mr Seitz said.
He admitted his party’s vote could plateau following Labor’s 2002 watermark victory, which saw Labor increase its vote in the West, but said such a readjustment is just natural.
Alongside the Labor and Liberal candidates, Lisa Asbury will run for the Greens and Scott Amberley will run for Family First.
Last election the Greens polled just over 7.5 per cent of the primary vote, while this is the first time Family First is fielding a candidate in Keilor.
