By XAVIER SMERDON
UP TO three Wyndham councillors could be aiming to climb up a rung on the political ladder.
Councillors Intaj Khan, Glenn Goodfellow and Gautam Gupta have been identified as potential candidates in the next Victorian election.
If just one of the councillors was to make the change to state politics then it would force a byelection.
Star revealed earlier this year that Wyndham looked likely to gain a new seat in parliament, with Point Cook touted as a possible separate electorate.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) is getting ready to hand down its recommended redivision of Victoria’s electoral boundaries by 27 June.
Member for the Western Metropolitan Region, Bernie Finn, told Star last week that he would be “stunned” if Wyndham did not gain a new seat with the increase in the municipality’s population.
Gautam Gupta denied that he was eyeing up a political change, saying the reports of a move to Spring Street were “news to me”.
Cr Khan would not rule out a move to state politics.
The Labor Party member said he would go where he was asked.
“If the party wants it I would be happy to represent the western region,” Cr Khan said.
“I have had talks along that line with the party and if they make that decision then I will do it.”
Cr Khan said he saw leaving his post as a councillor to become a state politician as a chance to represent his constituents on a higher level.
“I would still want to represent my ward, I have an obligation to represent them,” he said.
“It would give me another chance to meet the needs of what the people are interested in and fight for those needs.”
Cr Goodfellow, who has previously run in the Tarneit electorate for the Liberal Party, said: “There’s a process you have to go through and it this stage it is all hypothetical.
“I’m focusing on the here and now, I’m not worried about 12 or 18 months down the track.
“My focus is the people of the Harrison Ward right now. All this is hypothetical.
“I’ve been elected to serve the people of the Harrison Ward and that’s what I’m doing.”
