State election 2014 Victoria: Pascoe Vale Labor Liberal candidate behaviour called into question

THE behaviour of Labor and Liberal’s Pascoe Vale candidates is being called into question in the lead up to the state election.

n52co999 f1 Coburg Landmarks. Uniting Church corner of Waterfield street and Victoria street, Coburg

THE behaviour of both the Labor and Liberal candidates for Pascoe Vale is being called into question in the lead up to the November 29 state election.

Neither hopeful attended the candidates public forum — organised by Uniting Church branches Coburg, Brunswick and Pascoe Vale — despite being notified in early September.

Both have also been accused of not returning phone calls.

Labor candidate Lizzie Blandthorn said she was unable to attend the November 7 event “due to a longstanding local commitment”.

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She refused to reveal details about that commitment when the Leader contacted her. In an emailed response, Ms Blandthorn said: “My team is working hard at the train stations, out doorknocking and at street stalls/meetings. I am out campaigning every day, meeting with people and hearing about what is important to them.”

Ms Blandthorn won Labor preselection for Pascoe Vale after her godparent, sitting member Christine Campbell, announced her retirement.

Labor won the seat with a 17.8 per cent lead over the Liberals at the 2010 election.

Coburg Uniting Church reverend Robert Humphreys said he had received an emailed response from Ms Blandthorn, despite asking her to return his phone call, and no response from Liberal candidate Jacqueline Khoo, who also did not reply to the Leader’s phone calls.

Pascoe Vale state Liberal candidate Jacqueline Khoo.

The forum was attended by Australian Greens candidate Liam Farrelly and Sean Brocklehurst from the Socialist Alliance.

“I find this unwillingness to cooperate, in what is designed to be a service to the local community, by the endorsed representative of the two major political parties quite disturbing,” Mr Humphreys said.

“I find this unwillingness to cooperate, in what is designed to be a service to the local community, by the endorsed representative of the two major political parties quite disturbing,” — Robert Humphreys, Coburg Uniting Church reverend

“Any aspirant for public office from whatever political party or persuasion must see that face-to-face interaction with those that they would seek to represent is a non-negotiable part of having the qualities necessary to be a servant of the people in their electorate.”

A second state election forum for candidates for the marginal seat of Brunswick, organised by the uniting churches on November 14, was attended by most of the candidates — Jane Garrett (Labor), Giuseppe Vellotti (Liberal), Tim Read (Australian Greens), Dean O’Callaghan (Save the Planet) and Stella Kariofyllidis (People Power). Labor holds the seat by a margin of 3.3 per cent from the Greens, which has shrunk the margin in the past two elections.