Shannon Deery: Victoria’s election reminds us politics is a mug’s game

Anti-Semitism, contested ancestry claims and a rape charge — these are just some of the issues plaguing candidates vying to represent us in parliament.

Victorians will end up with the government they deserve on Saturday.

Has an election campaign ever so readily reminded us that politics is a mug’s game?

Five days out from the election and police are investigating comments made by independent MP Catherine Cumming at a rally at a rally on Saturday.

“I joined the Angry Victorian Party for one reason, to make Daniel Andrews turn into red mist,” Dr Cumming said.

“In the army, we would call it pink mist but I want him into red mist.

“Give anyone here in the army a job to blow someone up and they will,” she said, to cheers, screams and claps from protesters.

Among the crowd were protesters wearing costumes and carrying Trump 2020 flags.

Dr Cumming denies characterisations of her commentary as violent extremism.

That is to treat us as mugs.

On Monday, the Herald Sun revealed Nationals candidate for the seat of Narracan, Shaun Gilchrist, was due to stand trial for rape and sexual assault.

Mr Gilchrist died tragically and unexpectedly on Sunday.

At the time, he was due to face the County Court again next Wednesday, and was expected to stand trial in June next year.

Police are investigating comments made Catherine Cumming. Picture: David Crosling

Nothing can be made of the fact Mr Gilchrist was due to stand trial.

A basic tenet of our liberal democracy is the presumption of innocence, which must extend to all.

But given the jury was quite literally still out, was Mr Gilchrist a suitable candidate? And if the Nationals had no idea about the pending charges, why didn’t they?

What about Labor hopeful Lauren O’Dwyer, who is facing increasing scrutiny over her claims of Aboriginal heritage?

While clearly not an extremist, Ms O’Dwyer has repeatedly claimed she is a “proud Yorta Yorta woman” but this has been disputed by her family and Yorta Yorta members. She has been asked to prove her claim, but refuses, saying only she knows the truth and is proud of her heritage.

The focus on the question of her heritage has distracted from genuine policy debate.

Then there’s Liberal hopeful Timothy Dragan, who has come under fire over a range of controversial views.

They include his “100 per cent” opposition to a treaty with First Nations people, because “we won this land fair and square”.

The candidate for Narre Warren North also said he would vote to ban abortion and is opposed to kindergarten.

There was much talk about Mr Dragan well before he was preselected, after it was revealed he was using the self-styled “Lord” honorific while running for preselection.

Tyler Baker-Pearce’s smiling selfie outside Auschwitz. Picture: Twitter

Mr Dragan was handing out business cards with the term before being politely asked to strip himself of the title he purchased for a couple of bucks online. It came with a free patch of grass in the UK, too.

Independent candidate for Narre Warren South Tyler Baker-Pearce’s Twitter account is filled with posts expressing his extremist and anti-Semitic views.

These are the people set to represent us in parliament.

Is it the Americanisation of Australian politics that is allowing these candidates to slip through the cracks? More and more our campaigns have become a popularity contest between the leaders of the major parties.

This election, in particular, has shaped up to be a referendum on Daniel Andrews.

And because of that, proper scrutiny of candidates appears to have fallen away by both political parties and the media.

That a candidate was able to make it until five days out from the election with a secret rape trial on foot is a damning indictment on a worrying lack of scrutiny.

The case was, after all, a matter of public record.

Of more concern is that, with the very real prospect of a minority government from Saturday, the significance of individual candidates becomes inflated.

A diverse upper house will include candidates from a wide range of minor parties.

In the fallout of Matthew Guy’s 2018 election loss, the Liberal Party’s review made a series of recommendations in relation to candidate vetting. It seems that, still, not enough is being done.

Matthew Guy has distanced himself from candidate Renee Heath. Picture: Facebook

Upper House candidate Renee Heath’s ties to an ultraconservative Christian church had been widely reported on before her preselection in July. But Guy this week twisted himself in knots over the links. Guy can’t disendorse Heath, but has said she’ll be booted from the party room following the election. That is, of course, if the party room vote to boot her, which is no sure thing.

Depending on how Guy goes at the ballot box on Saturday night very much depends on how much support he enjoys from his colleagues from Monday.

The same should be said of Andrews, too. Even if successful, and he is the clear odds-on favourite right now, the Premier will take a massive whack to his mandate if he scrapes in with a minority government or small majority.

Labor Party insiders say the Andrews brand has become toxic, with latest data showing a significant drop in the female vote.

Coupled with an expected drop in primary vote, his many critics and opponents inside the Labor caucus might all of a sudden become emboldened to challenge his until-now dominant style.

On Saturday, we will get the chance to vote. And in the end, we will get what we deserve.