Billi to stand for Wannon
Stawell youth worker Maurice Billi will run as Labor’s candidate for Wannon in this year’s Federal Election.
Party officials endorsed Mr Billi’s candidacy last week.
Mr Billi will run against the Liberals’ Education Minister Dan Tehan.
It’s the second time Mr Billi has put his hand up to run for public office, having been Labor’s candidate for Lowan at November’s state election.
Mr Billi has lived in Stawell district for more than 20 years and works as the school-focused Youth Service Co-ordinator at Grampians Community Health.
Mr Billi made his foray into politics last year when, despite being based just outside the Lowan electoral boundaries, stood for Labor against the Nationals’ Emma Kealy.
He secured 7681 of first-preference votes, or 20.11 percent of the vote, and after preferences finished with 10,129 or 26.52 percent.
Mr Billi said he was passionate about getting a better deal for people living in the Wannon electorate.
“This is the best place to live in Australia, but we are so often ignored by the Morrison-turnbull-abbott Governments,” he said.
“I want to give Wannon voters a real choice. A choice between a chaotic, inward-looking Coalition or a progressive, disciplined Labor team led by Bill Shorten.
“All communities across Wannon matter, big and small, and I hope to meet many local residents across the electorate between now and polling day and discuss the issues important to them.”
Mr Billi grew up in Perth and after leaving school completed a course in media studies, which led to an 11year career in radio.
After leaving the industry, Mr Billi had an opportunity to work at a summer camp for under-privileged young people in the United States and decided to embark on a career as a youth worker after returning to Australia.
“I have spent most of my life working with and on behalf of vulnerable young people and families and I’m passionate about attracting services and programs to the region to make this an even better place to live,” Mr Billi said.
“I am approachable and up front and I’m really looking forward to meeting many Wannon voters ahead of polling day, whenever that might be.”
Wannon is a vast federal electorate, encompassing major western Victorian regional centres Ararat, Stawell, Hamilton and Warrnambool. It also encompasses Corangamite, Glenelg, Moyne, Southern Grampians and parts of Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Golden Plains and Colac municipalities.
North to south the electorate stretches south-east of Horsham to the coast and from east to west, west of Ballarat to the South Australian border.
Mr Tehan has held the traditionally strong Liberal seat since 2010.