WYNDHAM councillor Henry Barlow doesn’t consider pulling out of Lower House ALP pre-selection a loss, his sights are now set on a seat with a wider view.
In the tussle leading up to November’s state election, Cr Barlow last Monday conceded a contest against sitting member Mary Gillett for the safe seat of Tarneit despite announcing his campaign in early February.
Now Ms Gillett will face tough solo competition from Victorian Premier Steve Bracks’ chief-of-staff Tim Pallas, who announced his candidacy three weeks ago.
“I felt compromised because I wasn’t able to deliver the Premier’s wish,” Cr Barlow said.
Instead, the Wyndham resident of 40 years has set his sights on the Upper House seat of Melbourne West.
“It will allow me to be involved in Tarneit, but the added bonus is it would allow me to work across the whole of the western region from Craigieburn right down to Werribee,” Cr Barlow said.
“That opportunity made it easy for me to support the Premier, in his support of Tim Pallas.”
Cr Barlow admits the decision wasn’t easy and that he is disappointed to lose the chance to become MPfor Tarneit.
“Obviously Tim Pallas has got the Premier’s support and he came out very early in the piece saying that he wanted to see Tim in Parliament,” Cr Barlow said.
“And I would think he’ll probably end up becoming a minister.”
Despite local support, conversations with colleagues, friends and associates led him to believe he lacked the party’s overall support.
Cr Barlow compared himself to Colin Brooks who last week gave up the race for the Lower House seat of Bundoora.
“Both of us were going against high profile candidates, Pallas and Justin Madden,” he said.
“We found that at the end of the day there was a real feeling about where the overall support is in making sure the Premier has got the people that he wants in places that will take a senior position in government.”
