By XAVIER SMERDON
THE woman who has the former Prime Minister’s backing to take over her seat of Lalor has said she is up for a challenge and is ready to represent Wyndham.
Joanne Ryan was unveiled as Julia Gillard’s first choice to replace her when she retires after the Federal election in a letter to local Australian Labor Party Members.
Ms Gillard said Ms Ryan had a strong history of community advocacy and was well suited to take over where she will finish off.
Ms Ryan was the chairwoman of Wyndham Residents Against the Toxic Dump in the late 1990s and was the acting principal of Galvin Park Secondary College in Werribee when it suffered major storm damage.
She was still running the school when it secured State Government funding for a redevelopment.
She is currently the principal of the Moonee Ponds Primary School, a role she would have to give up if she was selected as the Labor candidate for Lalor.
Ms Ryan told the Star she could not put an exact date on when she knew Ms Gillard would be nominating her.
“The last six days have just been a blur and pinning down the exact day is really difficult,” Ms Ryan said.
“I know that Ms Gillard wrote a letter to local ALP members on Friday and they will be opening them today (Monday).”
Ms Ryan said she was filled with “grief” to see Ms Gillard lose her job as Prime Minister last month, but she was ready to continue her legacy.
“I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say there is a lot of grief here for the very public way she was treated over the last three years,” she said.
“I listened to her speech calling for people to get behind the Labor Party and I’m ready to start having some sophisticated debate.”
Just last week Ms Ryan was quoted in a media release slamming Wyndham Council’s handling of the “tip mountain” issue.
“Council is waging a war of lies and distortions against its own residents,” Ms Ryan was quoted as saying.
Ms Ryan said she did not know any other candidates that had put their names forward.
A local plebiscite on 28 and 29 July will help decide who will represent Labor in the next election.
