By Danielle Kutchel
Voters have their work cut out for them in the May Federal election, with the ballot lists looking full across the La Trobe, Flinders and Monash electorates.
Seven candidates are vying for the House of Representatives in La Trobe, including incumbent Jason Wood of the Liberal Party. He’s facing a strong challenge from Simon Curtis of the Labor Party, with both candidates announcing funding for various community issues.
Also running in La Trobe is Greens candidate Amy Gregorovich, whom eagle-eyed residents might remember previously ran as a candidate in last year’s state election for the seat of Gembrook.
Rounding out the list are retired school teacher Norman Baker for Rise Up Australia Party, bookkeeper Esther Baker for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, Duncan Dean for the Clive Palmer-led United Australia Party, and Asher Joseph Calwell-Browne for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party.
Over in Flinders, long-serving Liberal member Greg Hunt is facing a challenge from Julia Banks, a former Liberal now turned Independent who famously quit the party last year after the leadership spill that installed Scott Morrison as Prime Minister.
Josh Sinclair of the Labor Party is also running against Mr Hunt, and the Greens have fielded social worker Nathan Lesslie as their candidate. Completing the list are five others from across the political spectrum: Independent Harry Dreger, James Persson for the Animal Justice Party, Reade Smith for Sustainable Australia, Christine McShane for the United Australia Party, and Susie Beveridge, another Independent.
In Monash, seven candidates are competing for the seat currently held by Liberal Russell Broadbent, including Baw Baw Shire councillor Jessica O’Donnell for Labor, William Hornstra for the Greens, Independents John Verhoeven and Michael Stewart Fozard, One Nation candidate Jeff Waddell, and United Australia Party’s Matthew Sherry.
To vote for a member for the House of Representatives, voters must write a number one in the box next to their first preferred candidate, then two, three and so on next to the rest of the candidates in their preferred order until all the boxes are numbered.
