Ben seeks a state voice
A “fire” burning in Ben Lucas is driving him to get back to representing the community and this time he wants to be a voice in state government.
“I’m ready to go,” said the former Baw Baw Shire councillor who has announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate for the Narracan electorate in the November state election.
“I want to strike while the iron’s hot. There’s a real public sentiment - there’s a lot of disenfranchisement with the two major parties.
“People are disenfranchised with the status quo and I saw that when I stood for council. I want to create a viable option,” he said.
Mr Lucas was elected to council in 2020 with a resounding primary vote from west ward constituents. Eight months later he resigned in the wake of being charged with drink driving and dangerous driving.
In February this year he pleaded guilty, was fined $2000 and lost his licence for two years, effective from June last year.
Mr Lucas is confident people will be forgiving if it means getting a strong voice in parliament.
“The support at the time was overwhelming and I’ve never been in better spirits than now.
“There’s a fire inside me that’s burning so hard because I look at what we’ve got and what we could have. If we vote Liberal again, it’s another term of inaction.
“I’ve proven I can do the job on council. My track record shows I’ve done it at a local level... it’s not an unknown quantity.
Not having a licence will prohibit Mr Lucas from reaching the people. “We’ve got a train line, I’ve got a bike. There’s not one corner of the electorate I can’t reach.”
“It’s all about communication and treating people like people,” he said.
Mr Lucas has a simple mantra in his campaign to be a state member - roads, education and health.
“It comes from being on council and understanding how hamstrung council is with rates and government grants. I want to get in and help that. Council has got a long term infrastructure plan but they’ve got no money.
“We can’t even get $3 million to investigate traffic management and bypass options in Warragul and Drouin.
“I just want to get outcomes and for the last 16 years Narracan has missed out. I am hoping a decent independent candidate will shake them up,” he said.
While the rise of the Teal independent candidates gained significant momentum nationally during last month’s federal election, Mr Lucas - a former Liberal Party member - is quick to point out he is not attached to that template.
“I don’t want a boss, I don’t want to be told what to do. I am a born and bred local going into bat for the locals.
“The balance of power will be in the independents and cross bench so I want to be that voice.
“This is a grassroots campaign. There’s no money being thrown at it. I am doing this for our community and it all gets back to roads, education and health,” he said.
Mr Lucas knows the biggest priority in Narracan is a new West Gippsland Hospital.
“I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to get that funding.” But, he said the state government’s health commitment had to go beyond infrastructure.
“We need education on healthy lifestyles and healthy living so we aren’t clogging up our health system with chronic illnesses that are preventable. We have to break the cycle and we need to teach our next generation about health,” he said.
Mr Lucas believes one of his greatest strengths as a community representative is his lived experience.
“I am young, a business owner, and with interest rates rising I am in the trenches like everyone else.
“I know people, I know what it’s like to struggle and I know what it’s like to come out the other side.
“I think that’s one of my strengths that I can relate to people and then translate their concerns to people in high places,” Mr Lucas said.
The state election will be held on November 26. Sitting Liberal member Gary Blackwood, who holds the seat with an 11 per cent margin, is retiring at the end of this term. The Liberal Party has endorsed Wayne Farnham of Warragul as its candidate.