COKER v HENDO REMATCH
Coker to have another crack at Corangamite
POLITICAL archrivals Libby Coker and Sarah Henderson will repeat their battle for Corangamite at the next federal election.
The Australian Labor Party has preselected Ms Coker, a Surf Coast Shire councillor, to run for the seat of Corangamite.
ALP assistant state secretary Kosmos Samaras confirmed Ms Coker had edged out Geelong businesswoman Diana Taylor to win the local branch vote 116 to 39.
While the ALP’s preselection process would usually now require a second vote by the party’s central executive, Mr Kosmos confirmed Ms Taylor had withdrawn from the preselection race.
Ms Coker said she was thrilled to receive the preselection, and looked forward to providing a better alternative to the current government.
“It is very exciting to be the endorsed candidate and represent the people of Corangamite as the Labor candidate,” she said.
“As a councillor, I know there are many people hurting now, and there are people who are finding it very difficult to keep up with the cost of living where there’s been a flat-lining of wages and cutting of penalty rates.
“There are a lot of people who are feeling left behind in Corangamite, and Labor will have the policies to help these people.”
Ms Henderson, the current Corangamite MP, said she was surprised by Ms Coker’s preselection.
“In 2016 she received a very low primary vote of just 30.80 per cent and does not have the support of Bill Shorten or Richard Marles. That said, I take nothing for granted. The fight to hold Corangamite will be very tough,” she said.
The next federal election will be held between August 4, 2018 and May 18, 2019.
The election won’t be the first time Ms Coker has taken on Ms Henderson, after the pair went head to head for the seat of Corangamite in last year’s election.
Ms Coker achieved a swing of almost 1 per cent in the election, but lost with a margin of about 6 per cent.
Even after the election the relationship between the pair had been strained.
In August, Ms Henderson accused Cr Coker of having a conflict of interest in a Surf Coast council vote in an alleged attempt to undermine her authority. A majority of councillors, including Cr Coker, had voted to reject the NBN’s proposed fixed wireless facility at Bellbrae.
Ms Henderson said she had received information that suggested Cr Coker and fellow councillor Rose Hodge were working with objectors to undermine NBN’s rollout of fixed wireless broadband for political purposes. Cr Coker hit back at the claims at the time, dismissing them as ridiculous.