By Ann Marie Angebrandt
THEcampaign to win residents’ votes is heating up following the close of nominations last Friday.
The Tarneit seat, which covers most of Wyndham, is identified as a safe Labor seat with a 17.5 per cent swing needed to dislodge the party.
The Liberals came close to winning the seat in 1996 with a 7.5 per cent swing, in line with the success of the party in all of Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Altona, which covers Point Cook, requires nearly a 25 per cent swing, and Lara, which covers Wyndham Vale, requires a 22 per cent shift.
Tarneit will be contested by six candidates: Wyndham councillor Mark Rose for the Liberal Party; former chief of staff for Steve Bracks, Tim Pallas; computer specialist Chris Harrison for Family First; grocery distributor Michael Goldsworthy for People Power; and Hobsons Bay librarian Pamela Boyd for the Greens.
A former Werribee mayor, John Gibbons, made a last-minute decision to run as an Independent.
“I think Wyndham is more mature than to vote for a candidate just because they are with the Labor party,” said Mr Gibbons, who was drawn as first on the ballot.
“They want someone who has proven themselves.”
Mr Rose also hopes voters will regard his local contributions and community involvement more highly than the Labor Party membership of his main competitor.
“It shows great contempt for voters that someone who doesn’t even live here has blown in to grab the seat,” he said.
Mr Pallas, a Williamstown resident, said he expected the accomplishments of the Bracks Government will speak for themselves.
In the new upper house seat for the western metropolitan region, 430,000 voters from Craigieburn to Tarneit will choose five people from a pool of 26 candidates.
The number one position among the five Liberal nominees is Bernie Finn, a former MP during the Kennett years.
Five Labor Party members will also vie for a spot, led by star performer and Sports Minister Justin Madden.
Khalil Eideh, a Roxburgh Park director of a family-owned trucking business and prominent member of the Allawi Islamic Association, is second.
Martin Pakula, a high profile unionist who recently lost a challenge against former federal Labor leader Simon Crean for federal pre-selection is third, while Wyndham councillor Henry Barlow has been placed fourth.
The Greens are running four candidates including former Maribyrnong councillor Colleen Hartland.
People Power has enlisted two candidates, including long-time local disability advocate Christine Williams.
