Liberal candidate yet to put hand up for Richmond seat

EIGHT weeks out from state election the Liberal Party is yet to field a candidate in the seat of Richmond.

Promise for a Richmond High School

EIGHT weeks out from the state election, there is no Liberal Party candidate in Richmond.

And the party is not particularly keen to talk about it.

Tom Keel, president of the Fitzroy Residents Association, will run as an independent in Richmond.

Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly is standing for the Socialist Party.

Greens candidate for Richmond Kathleen Maltzahn.

The Leader left a phone message with party headquarters and emailed Premier Denis Napthine’s media adviser last week, but did not receive a response by deadline.

Tom McFeely collected 22.79 per cent of the primary vote as Liberal candidate in 2010, but confirmed he would not contest the November 29 poll.

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A political source said the party would run someone, but the State Government was unpopular in Richmond due to the East West Link and TAFE funding cuts.

Any late-coming Liberal candidate will be a rank outsider for the seat which so far pits incumbent Richmond state Labor MP Richard Wynne against the Greens’ Kathleen Maltzahn, Socialist Yarra councillor Stephen Jolly and Fitzroy Residents Association chief Tom Keel.

However, Liberal preferences could play a key role in deciding the seat.