Seven candidates take on Monash

Monash residents will have the choice of at least seven candidates when they go the polls on May 21.

With Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing the federal election on Sunday, voters now have six weeks to sort through election priorities and promises before casting their vote.

Incumbent Russell Broadbent will seek his seventh consecutive term as Member for Monash, previously known as McMillan.

Holding the seat with a 6.9 per cent margin, the long serving Liberal member will be again challenged by the ALP’s Jessica O’Donnell.

Mr Broadbent and Ms O’Donnell went head-to-head in the 2019 federal election where Mr Broadbent attracted 46 per cent of the primary vote, a decrease of 3.5 per cent. Ms O’Donnell increased the ALP’s vote in Monash by 1.75 per cent, attracting 29.6 per cent of the vote.

This year, independent candidate Deb Leonard also has thrown her hat in the ring with the backing of Voices for Monash. Ms Leonard has set out to provide an alternative to the major political parties.

The seven-candidate line-up also includes Greens candidate Mat Morgan, Christine McShane representing the United Australia Party, Meg Edwards for the Liberal democrats and Allan Hicken for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

At the 2019 election, One Nation recorded 7.6 per cent of the primary vote, slightly more than The Greens’ seven per cent.

A redistribution of Monash since the last election saw the Bunyip and Koo wee rup areas lost to La Trobe electorate, reducing the Liberal margin from 7.4 per cent to 6.9 per cent.

Of the 66 polling places used at the 2019 election, 51 recorded Liberal Party majorities.

The electorate has predominantly been held by Liberal members, with the exception of an ALP dominance between 1980 and 1990 when Barry Cunningham was the elected member and again for a two term period when the ALP’s Christian Zahra held the seat between 1998 and 2004.