‘I’ll keep up fight’

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy has spoken of her intent to up the ante in ‘holding the Labor State Government to account’ despite the Coalition’s diminished numbers in parliament.

Ms Kealy, who successfully held her seat for the Nationals amid Coalition carnage at last month’s election, said her job as a regional representative had never been greater.

“The role of being in opposition has never been more important than it is now,” she said.

“I see my role, despite the disappointment of the Liberal-nationals not winning government, to fight for all the things we as a region want to achieve.

“What I will be doing is to ask the Labor government to lift its eyes a little bit, to see the big picture and to remind it that it has an obligation to govern for all of Victoria.

“The ultimate test is to see how the government responds to helping people in regional seats it failed to win, not just the seats it won.”

Ms Kealy said the issues that Lowan electorate had based its votes on remained and the government needed to act quickly to reassure people they were just as important as anyone else in the state.

Kealy determined

She said she had no fear of hard work and would continue to maintain the hectic regional communityconsultation timetable she had expanded during the election.

“I for one am going to have to work harder in opposition to ensure the voice of an enormous part of western Victoria is heard,” she said.

“The cost, maintenance and circumstances surrounding many of our regional roads remain unresolved – for many in government they remain out of sight, out of mind, and that’s just not good enough.

“I note with interest that Jaala Pulford is the new roads minister, which means as an upper-house representative for this part of the state, she should already know the circumstances and there’s no excuses.

“The government must also immediately resolve the mess that is the Warracknabeal school precinct project. We’re talking about state school assets and the last time I looked, the buck stopped with the State Government.

“Education Minister James Merlino certainly knows the background of this and he’ll also be getting a few calls.

“And if there was an issue that brought a Lowan community voice together as one, it was the need of passenger-rail services to Horsham and Hamilton.”

The Nationals have returned Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh as party leader and Member for Euroa Steph Ryan as his deputy.

Ms Kealy won 66.98 percent of first-preference votes during the election and after preferences finished with 73.52 percent.

Labor’s Maurice Billi was next with 20.09 and 26.48 after preferences.

Independent Barry Shea captured 6.47 percent of the vote, Richard Lane from Australian Greens 5.31, and Trevor Grenfell, Victorian Socialists, 1.14.