Biggest moments of torrid state election battle

The so-called most important election in Victoria’s history has resulted in one of the most intense political campaigns in recent memory.

On Saturday, Victorians will vote in what has been frequently referred to as the most important election in the state’s history.

Whatever the result, the state will be praying the next term of government represents a fresh start after a punishing four years and a bruising election campaign, the bitterness of which has mirrored the discontent felt by large swathes of the electorate.

Below, NCA NewsWire looks at five of the biggest stories to have arisen from the campaign to form the next Victorian government.

Labor’s ‘fake’ Aboriginal candidate

The inner-city seat of Richmond, held by retiring Labor MP Richard Wynne, encompasses some of Australia’s most socially progressive suburbs.

Widely tipped to fall to the Greens in Saturday’s election, and therefore mirror its federal representation – Adam Bandt holds the seat of Melbourne by one of the most comfortable margins in Australia – it’s no surprise Labor preselected a candidate who self-describes as a “single mum, lesbian and proud Yorta Yorta woman” in Lauren O’Dwyer.

However, Ms O’Dwyer’s claims to Yorta Yorta heritage, which she had previously said derived from her great-grandfather Graham Berry, appeared to have unravelled when Mr Berry’s daughter, Joan Keele, told the ABC that her father was not and had never identified as Aboriginal.

In the same investigation, Monica Morgan, from the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, said neither Ms O’Dwyer nor Mr Berry’s identity could be linked to a line of families recognised by the corporation.

When quizzed over the Richmond candidate’s claims to indigeneity, Premier Daniel Andrews said “cultural identity is a very complex thing” and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to comment.

Labor’s candidate for Richmond, Lauren O’Dwyer, claims to be a ‘proud Yorta Yorta woman’, but the association is disputed by the Yorta Yorta community and her own family. Picture: Facebook

Libs sprung

There’s probably never a good moment for a grown man to be found following the racy social media account of a much younger woman – but to have it happen as an opposition police spokesman in the middle of an election campaign could be considered particularly unfortunate timing.

Last week that is exactly what happened when Herald Sun reporter Stephen Drill revealed Liberal frontbencher Brad Battin was following an OnlyFans model on his public TikTok account.

The report highlighted that the model’s videos, which have been viewed more than 3.6 million times, include her taking off her top to reveal her “itty bittys”.

It is not suggested that Mr Battin subscribes to the model’s OnlyFans account, which, for a monthly subscription fee of $14.14, promises a “welcome to my intimate world”.

The same article also revealed shadow treasurer David Davis follows the Instagram account @melbourneboudoirbykaren, which posts intimate photos of mature women in lingerie.

Brad Battin followed an OnlyFans model on his public TikTok account. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

The OnlyFans page of @aimeeinhigher

Election fix exposed

One of the most controversial figures in Australian politics Glenn Druery, otherwise known as the “preference whisperer”, became the centre of attention during the Victorian election when a leaked video showed Mr Druery “selling” a seat for $55,000.

The video, leaked by Chris Burson and Heston Russell from the Angry Victorians / Australian Values Party and since referred to the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, records Mr Druery requesting $55,000 from the pair if they sign up to his plan, which improves a minor party’s election prospects through preference distributions.

In the video, Mr Druery also told the pair: “We’ve got to give the government, which will be the Andrews government, we’ve got to give them a crossbench they can work with.”

On the day the video was leaked, Mr Russell told NCA NewsWire it was important Victorians knew what was occurring in their electoral system.

The video sparked spirited debate around Victoria’s group ticket voting system.

A video leaked by Heston Russell (bottom) and Chris Burson (top right) sparked heated debate over the state’s group voting ticket during the campaign. Picture: Supplied

‘Red mist’

If political reporters have improved their command of military nomenclature during the state election campaign, they have Victorian MP Catherine Cumming to thank.

“I joined the Angry Victorians Party for one reason,” said Ms Cumming, speaking at a rally the week before the election.

“To make Daniel Andrews turn into red mist.”

“Red mist” is a play on the phrase “pink mist”, which in military terms denotes the thin spray of blood after someone is hit in the head by sniper fire.

Mr Andrews said Ms Cumming’s remarks represented “violent extremism” and “this is not America”.

In a combative interview with Melbourne radio host Neil Mitchell, Ms Cumming said “red mist” referred to a feeling of anger.

“You know, Neil, that I’m dyslexic and I choose my words quite clumsily,” she said in the interview.

Victoria Police cleared Ms Cumming of any wrongdoing.

MP Catherine Cumming landed herself in hot water after she was filmed at a rally where she expressed a wish to see Premier Daniel Andrews ‘turn into red mist’.

Candidate’s shock death, rape charges

The election campaign ground to a temporary halt over the weekend when news broke that Shaun Gilchrist, the Nationals’ candidate in the west Gippsland seat of Narracan, had taken his own life.

But questions for Opposition Leader Matthew Guy and Nationals leader Peter Walsh were posed when it was revealed Mr Gilchrist, who had a partner and two children, was facing rape and sexual assault charges in the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday.

Mr Walsh reportedly refused to answer questions as to whether the Nationals had confronted Mr Gilchrist over the charges, or whether they were considering disendorsing him.

Mr Guy said: “Whatever the situation is, someone has died and there is now a widow and two children whose father is not coming home.”

If someone you know is at risk of suicide, call Lifeline 13 11 14 (lifeline.org.au) or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

Nationals candidate for the west Gippsland seat of Narracan, Shan Gilchrist, took his own life days before he was due to appear in the Victorian County Court on rape and sexual assault charges. Picture: Facebook

Originally published as Biggest moments of torrid state election battle