Election battle begins

Nominations for next month’s state government election will open tomorrow, with Narracan voters already guaranteed at least four candidates on the ballot paper.

Sitting Liberal member Gary Blackwood is set to face challenges from the ALP’s Christine Maxfield, The Greens’ William Hornstra and independent Guss Lambden.

Mr Blackwood, who holds the seat comfortably with an 11.3 per cent margin, has been the local member for three terms after defeating the ALP’s Ian Maxfield in 2006.

At the last state election in 2014, Mr Blackwood obtained 55 per cent of the primary vote and 61 per cent of the two party preferred.

Despite his strong hold on the seat, Mr Blackwood said he could “never take it for granted. “We still have to do what we need to do to let people know what we stand for and what we are fight for,” he said.

The Coalition has announced a swag of election promises, with some big ticket items including funding for a new hospital, a fast rail project, a new Drouin Police Station and funding for Neerim District Secondary College.

Mr Blackwood denied they were “hollow promises,” saying it was all part of the process. He said the promises were endorsement that he and the party were reacting to the needs of the area rather than pork barrelling.

It was only one month from the election that the ALP last week endorsed Drouin East resident Ms Maxfield.

Denying it was an 11th hour endorsement when no one else would take on the job, Ms Maxfield said she was determined to make Narracan marginal to “get things done.”

Ms Maxfield previously stood for the ALP in successive Federal elections for McMillan in 2007 and 2010, losing both times to Russell Broadbent.

“Whether I decided now or six months ago, I think people will see it as a choice, not a last-minute inclusion.

“If people want to get more for Narracan, they need to make Narracan marginal,” Ms Maxfield said.

The Greens has put up William Hornstra of Moe, who also is the party’s federal candidate for Monash.

The university student said the major parties had forgotten communities in Narracan and he was committed to providing strong representation in Narracan.

At the last state election, Greens candidate Malcolm McKelvie polled almost nine per cent of the primary vote.

Moe’s Guss Lambden will stand as an independent. He said he had an interest in politics and after speaking with Member for Morwell Russell Northe was encouraged to stand.

He said it was time for an independent to represent Narracan and time for voters to send a message to major parties that they were tired of their empty promises.

Mr Lambden stood as a west ward council candidate at the 2016 Latrobe City Council elections.

Funding for a new West Gippsland Hospital could potentially be a hot election issue. While the Coalition has indicated it will fund a new hospital on a greenfield site in its first term of government if elected, the ALP has given no indication of a hospital promise.

The Where’s The Funding hospital lobby group has vowed to make it an election issue and has said it will continue its fight for a funding commitment from the state government.

The group will have a presence at a community rally organised in Yarragon this Thursday by upper house candidate for Eastern Victoria Region and Yarragon businessman Michael Fozard.

Mr Fozard said the 11.30am rally aimed to bring together candidates and community groups, associations and the public to hear about issues of concern to the region.

All candidates will have an opportunity to present their position and then listen to the community issues.

In its 51-year history, Narracan has been held by a Labor member for a seven year period between 1999 and 2006, when Ms Maxfield’s husband Ian was elected, and re-elected for a second term. He was defeated by Gary Blackwood.

Nominations close next Thursday, November 8 at noon for registered political party candidates; and, noon on November 9 for independent candidates.