JEFF: DAZ CAN DO IT

Former premier says Lyons has Labor spooked in city seat

FORMER Victorian premier Jeff Kennett says there is a “very real chance” Darryn Lyons could win the seat of Geelong at Saturday’s state election.

The one-time giant of state politics – who served a seven-year term as premier in the 1990s – said Labor’s recent advertising campaign against Mr Lyons showed it was “terribly worried” about the outcome in Geelong.

“I have been to many seats over the course of the last eight weeks,” Mr Kennett said. “I do not know one seat where Labor has thrown so much money and is so desperately trying to denigrate an individual who is standing for a public office.

“All right, they are obviously worried about the seat – that is understandable. But the amount of vitriol is extraordinary.”

Mr Lyons, a former Geelong mayor, is contesting the election as an independent candidate.

Last week, the Labor Party launched a series of advertisements on radio, social media and billboards, accusing the former paparazzo of being a “fake independent” and a “real Liberal”.

While Labor last week dodged a question on how much it had spent on the advertising campaign, Mr Kennett said the party could be spending up to $750,000 on the Geelong seat alone.

He said his experience in politics led him to believe Labor had internal polling figures that suggested current MP Christine Couzens was in danger of losing the seat.

“Personally, up until a week or so ago, I thought the current incumbent would probably hold up,” he said.

“But it’s quite clear Labor knows more than I do in terms of their polling, otherwise they wouldn’t be throwing in this sort of money and being so personally vitriolic.

“It is a sign they are worried. If they are doing this, they must have every cause to be worried.”

Last week, a Herald Sun/ YouGov Galaxy poll showed Mr Lyons had established an early foothold in Geelong, securing 15 per cent of the vote.

Mr Kennett said if Mr Lyons managed to record a primary vote “well over” 25 per cent, the flow of preferences could lead to the ex-mayor unseating Ms Couzens.

He said he believed having Mr Lyons in parliament could prove advantageous for Geelong.

“I suspect … if he were to end up close to the balance of power, then the profile of Geelong would again be substantially lifted,” he said.

“In life today, half the battle is getting noticed. Darryn cut through the clutter before (as mayor) and he would no doubt cut through the clutter again if he were elected.”

Mr Kennett, who will provide expert commentary on Channel 7’s coverage of the election, said he would be keeping a close eye on Geelong and the seat of Bellarine, where Labor’s Lisa Neville is fending off a contest from Liberal candidate Brian McKiterick.