By Shelby Brooks
The new state seat of Pakenham could be contested at next year’s election by two first time candidates.
Emma Vulin, an electorate officer for Premier Dan Andrews, has confirmed she is standing as the Labor candidate for the election, slated to be held 26 November 2022.
Ms Vulin told the Gazette she has lived in the Pakenham area for a decade.
“I’ve raised my two children here, they go to local schools and do local sport. I’ve also been quite involved with the CFA for over seven years,“ she said.
She is a volunteer at the Upper Beaconsfield CFA and delegate for the CFA Cardinia group that oversees all 16 units in the area.
“I feel like volunteering has been really important to me and it’s an opportunity to take that to the next level,“ she said.
She has worked for state and federal level politics since 2015 and specifically with the Premier since 2017.
“I come from a Labor family,“ she said.
“My mum worked at an electorate office and I’ve been around politics my entire life, volunteering at lots of elections.“
She previously worked in the veterinary and retail sectors.
For the Liberals, Cardinia Neighbourhood Watch chair David Farrelly said he hoped to run for the new seat, but his candidacy wouldn’t be confirmed until January.
“Right now, it’s a maybe. It’s out of my hands now,“ he told the Gazette.
“I just want the right outcome for the community.“
Pakenham’s last MP was Rob Maclellan, who represented the state seat for 10 years before it’s abolition in 2002.
It comes as incumbent Bass MP Jordan Crugnale confirms she will restand for the seat, which will no longer include the township of Pakenham.
The seat of Bass will lose the townships of Clyde North and Pakenham, but will gain towns in the Western Port Bay area including Tooradin, Pearcedale, Cranbourne South, Devon Meadows and Cannons Creek.
Brad Battin, current Gembrook MP, has announced he will stand for the seat of Berwick following the abolition of seat of Gembrook in 2022.
There is no word as yet on an ALP candidate for Berwick.
In other political news, former Cardinia Shire councillor Michael Schilling will stand as a Greens candidate for the 2022 federal election in the seat of La Trobe against incumbent Liberal Jason Wood.
“Obviously I care a lot about our local community and advocating for community outcomes,“ he told the Gazette.
“I think this federal election is one of the most important federal elections we’ve had. We have issues like climate change- that’s probably one of the main reasons why I’ve thought I’d give it one more go.“
He previously stood for La Trobe for the Greens in 2013.
