By Ann Marie Angebrandt
THE West could have its first Greens representative in State Parliament, with Western Metropolitan candidate Colleen Hartland hoping to take a place in the Upper House.
“If we do get in, it will be a great change and great things for the West,” she said.
Recent changes to the voting system means that for the first time Victorians elected members of the Upper House using the proportional representation system, similar to the way the federal Senate is elected.
Final results are expected this week.
Two Greens’ candidates representing Melbourne’s northern and southern suburbs are also likely to be elected. Three of the West’s other four Upper House seats will go to Justin Madden, Khalil Eideh and Martin Pakula of the Labor Party.
The fourth has been taken by Bernie Finn of the Liberal Party.
Mr Finn, who was the Liberal member for Tullamarine until 1999, said that although the overall Liberal vote was disappointing, the party will now have a seat in the West to build up a following.
“This is an entirely new game now,” said Mr Finn.
“Now there will be somebody in the Parliament who will hold these people accountable,” he said.
