Deliver instead of vows

LESS than 40 days out from the state election and this is where things start to get a bit more interesting.

The campaigns and the people who work for them tend to get more strung out.

It’s a winner-takes-all contest with a lot on the line including power, tribal pride and the jobs of those involved.

It can be very cold in the wilderness of Opposition, especially if you’ve become accustomed to the warm sun of relevance that government provides.

It’s quite likely none of the local state seats will change hands, but anything is possible.

John Eren may be experiencing some discomfort as the wake of the red shirts affair rolls on. But in Lara he has one of the safest seats around. He got more than 50 per cent of first preference votes last time.

And the Liberal candidate-cum-sacrificial lamb is still to be revealed. (With less than six weeks until the election Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says they will be announced “very soon”.)

On the Bellarine, despite having a youth crime wave on her watch as Police Minister, Lisa Neville could still fight off policeman and Surf Coast councillor Brian McKitterick.

It’s the two remaining local seats that will be making the major parties skittish and strung out. In South Barwon the ALP challenger is burdened by perceptions he’s a carpetbagger from Ballarat and mediocre memories of his time as federal member for Corangamite. But the margin is tight and Greens preferences could be a factor.

And talking of preferences, in Darryn Lyons there is now a wildcard third candidate in the race for Geelong which has got the government spooked.

As a result of this nervousness our region is being lavished with attention from the major parties.

We are being promised the world on rail and schools, and it is tempting to optimistically believe the hype.

But it is hard to believe in fast rail when today’s V/Lines are breaking down.