LOWAN voters are still waiting to learn who will contest the seat for Labor and the Greens in November’s state election.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The race for the seat has expanded to two about seven weeks from the ballot, with Horsham’s Barry Shea announcing he will run as an independent against incumbent Nationals member Emma Kealy.
Labor and the Greens committed months ago to fielding candidates, but requests from the Mail-Times for confirmation on when these will be finalised remain unanswered.
Australian Labor Party Victoria deputy campaign director Kosmos Samaras told the Mail-Times in August that Labor would stand candidates in every seat in Victoria, and hoped to finalise its Lowan candidate within weeks. However the party did not respond to requests for an update before deadline.
Labor has contested the seat of Lowan – formerly Wimmera – in every election since 1967, but has never held the seat.
Monash University political commentator Nick Economou said though it was odd for Labor not to have a candidate confirmed at this point, he believed it was an indication of the pressure on the party.
“I think the party is a bit worried about inner-city Melbourne, and particularly the four seats the Greens might pick up,” he said.
“Not only are they fighting the Coalition in traditional marginal seats, but they're also fighting the Greens for those inner-city seats.
“A lot of the organisational effort goes into pre-selecting seats that are in play, and you have to deal with those things first.
“Then you deal with other things, including who is going to run in seats you have no chance of winning.
“When you factor in the marginal seats – both urban and regional – that are in play and then the inner-city seats that will be contested, they will be the priority.
“The Labor party doesn't have limitless resources – they have to prioritise.
“The seat of Lowan is never going to be won by Labor.”
Mr Economou said having a candidate for Lowan was important for Labor’s aspirations in the Legislative Council.
“It's important for Labor to maximise its vote in the upper house contest, and one way to do that is to ensure they have candidates in every seat,” he said.
Victorian Greens state director Clare Quinn said the party was choosing its candidate through a democratic process, which took time.
“We are committed to fielding a candidate in Lowan, so voters can choose a candidate who shares their values,” she said.
“Our candidate for Western Victoria, Lloyd Davies, is campaigning strongly across the region, and we will announce our candidate for Lowan shortly.”
