Meet the Victorians going up against the Premier in Mulgrave
The Premier is facing a battle for his own seat with a Kim Jong-un impersonator, a duck and the man at the centre of “slug gate”.
State Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from State Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Daniel Andrews has never faced such a fight to keep his seat of Mulgrave.
But the 13 candidates who have put their hand up to boot him say his time is finally up.
And they firmly believe community anger over a range of issues from his pandemic management to Victoria’s hospital crisis could see him ousted.
Some candidates running, such as Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard Lee, don’t really think they’ll win the seat.
Others, including Ian Cook, firmly believe he can steal a rare election victory from an incumbent leader.
Then there’s St Kilda’s Andrew King, who lives nowhere near Mulgrave, but is so incensed at the Andrews government he is running anyway.
Mr King had offered to pay the $350 nomination fee for the first 50 candidates to sign on to challenge Mr Andrews.
He received more than a hundred offers, but ditched the idea in the end so as not to dilute the vote too much.
The electoral district, in Melbourne’s outer southeast, includes the suburb of Mulgrave along with parts of Wheelers Hill, Springvale, Noble Park and Dandenong North.
In 2010, 2014 and 2018, the Premier was challenged for his seat by only four other candidates.
On November 26, he will face the fight of his career, as he seeks to be elected for a sixth time.
Premier Daniel Andrews — Labor Party
The Premier now holds the seat with a margin of 15.8 per cent and has scored the coveted top position on the ballot paper after a randomised ballot draw.
Speaking in Noble Park a week ago, Mr Andrews was asked how he felt about his prospects of re-election.
“Cath and I and the kids, we have lived here for 20 years,” he said.
“It’s been the honour of my life to be the member for Mulgrave.”
Mr Andrews said he was proud to be able to represent not only his constituents, but his neighbours.
“This is a brilliant part of Melbourne. It’s my home,” he said.
“I work hard every day for the people that have chosen me to be their voice in the Victorian parliament.
“I’ve never taken that for granted and I never ever will.”
Michael Piastrino – Liberal Party
Hairdresser Michael Piastrino is running for the Liberals in Mulgrave and has vowed to go “toe to toe” with the Premier.
And he is confident he can topple him.
“I am a fighter,” Mr Piastrino told the Herald Sun.
“I just hope (the Premier) gives the office a fresh paint … before I move in.”
As a business owner, he said he felt “every emotion possible” during the lockdowns.
“I had friends lose their businesses and I also saw families torn apart,” he said.
“So, I promised my loved ones I would take a stand and go toe to toe with the ‘dictator’ and make sure we never go through the harsh lockdowns again.”
Mr Piastrino said he wanted to fix the health crisis without raising taxes and help small businesses like his own.
“I will never walk behind or in front of any Victorian, I will walk side-by-side with every Victorian.”
Robert Lim – Greens
The Greens have put forward Noble Park local Robert Lim to contest the seat of Mulgrave. He says he is running because he can “no longer tolerate Labor”.
“I was disgusted when Labor decided to side with the logging industry, and criminalise the protests,” Mr Lim told the Herald Sun.
“Our old growth forests are the heritage of future generations and shouldn’t be treated as an exploitable resource for loggers to make a quick buck.
“Climate change has always been a terrifying disaster in the back of my mind, but this was the event that made me decide I had to run.”
He said if he was elected Mulgrave would be “better represented”.
Ian Cook – Independent
Ian Cook – the man at the centre of the long-running “slug gate” scandal – is standing as an independent in Mulgrave more than three years after the controversial closure of his family-owned catering business.
The scandal began when a Greater Dandenong Council health inspector was accused of planting a slug inside the I Cook Foods facility, which the council denies.
“This is not a stunt and it’s not about revenge,” Mr Cook exclusively told the Herald Sun in August.
“After three years of seeing first-hand how corruption is devastating Victoria, I can’t sit by and let Daniel Andrews pretend that he is fit for public office.”
The campaign, dubbed by his supporters as “Cook versus Crook”, had been bolstered by the signing of 150 volunteers in a week.
“We expect Labor will have unlimited funds to advertise for Andrews, so I am incredibly grateful and a bit taken aback by the generosity.”
Howard Lee – Independent
Comedian and Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard Lee will be running in Mulgrave not only as himself but as the “Supreme Leader” to offer people a “protest vote”.
“I am giving the chance for all the people that are angry with the Premier to vote for a nasty dictator – at least someone who looks like him – rather than Dan,” Mr Lee told the Herald Sun.
“It’s the best middle finger a voter can give to Premier and their preferences will flow through to another candidate who has a chance.”
Mr Lee, who has lived in Mulgrave since the 1990s, said for years he has used impersonation to “promote human rights and democracy”.
“Given … my activism against autocratic regimes, Victorians can elect me knowing that I won’t sell out to regimes like the Chinese Communist Party.”
He hit the headlines in May when he gatecrashed a media opportunity attended by former federal MP Gladys Liu and former prime minister Scott Morrison.
While agreeing to be interviewed by the Herald Sun as Mr Lee, the comedian said he would mostly be campaigning as Kim Jong-un.
“As the Supreme Leader, I will be a much better dictator than dictator Dan,” Mr Lee said, impersonating Kim Jong-un.
“Beijing Dan has approved the Chinese Communist Party’s invasion of Victoria through ‘Belt & Road’ projects, Confucius Institutes spreading communist propaganda on university campuses and using Uyghur slave labour to build Victoria’s trains.
“Don’t settle for Beijing Dan. Why not go the extra mile and have North Korea infiltrate Victoria too?”
Andrew King – Independent
Prominent Melbourne art collector Andrew King has thrown his hat into the ring for the seat of Mulgrave because he believes he offers a “fresh alternative” to the Premier.
“I’ve had a gutful of Andrews, so I’m standing up to him by standing against him,” Mr King told the Herald Sun.
“The people of Mulgrave are ill-served by Andrews.”
The art collector was initially offering to bankroll a mass challenge against the Premier in Mulgrave by paying the $350 nomination fees to the first 50 people who agreed to run as independent candidates.
But he pulled the plug on his plan, conceding that a mass challenge of candidates would not assist Ian Cook, who he regarded as having a “realistic” chance of beating the Premier.
“It was a tough decision, and there will be very many disappointed prospective candidates, but pragmatism won through.”
David Mould – Animal Justice Party
While David Mould is officially running for the Animal Justice Party in Mulgrave, Danielle Duck is the poster girl for the party.
The native wood duck appears as the candidate for Mulgrave on the Animal Justice Party’s website, described as a “hard working mother and long time Mulgrave local living on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong land”.
“Danielle spends a lot of time travelling with her family across Victoria’s beautiful wetlands,” the website reads.
“She was shocked to learn that for 3 months of the year, they turn from sanctuary to slaughterhouse for the recreational duck shooting season – authorised by her local member of parliament, Premier Daniel Andrews.”
However, the website goes on to say Danielle is a placeholder for Mr Mould of Geelong Duck Rescue.
“I was compelled to run in the seat of Mulgrave to try to bring the issues of violence against animals directly to Dan Andrews’ doorstep since he has done such a job of ignoring and even facilitating the cruelty of the recreational duck shooting season, among others,” Mr Mould told the Herald Sun.
“To finally end duck shooting in Victoria is why I’m running in Mulgrave.”
Aidan McLindon – Freedom Party
The Freedom Party, formed in the wake of the state’s lockdowns and vaccine mandates, has put up its deputy leader Aidan McLindon to run against Daniel Andrews.
Mr McLindon is an ex-Queensland LNP member, creator of the Queensland Party and former national director of Katter’s Australian Party.
He said the Freedom Party was appealing to the “rational majority”.
But to those who labelled him anti-vax, he said: “They don’t know who I am, because I’m pro-choice.”
“My objective now is to clean out the dead wood in the parliament and to get an orchestrated agenda that puts 6.8 million Victorians first,” he said.
Underworld figure and former boxer Mick Gatto backed the party’s policy to provide self-defence classes to all schoolchildren in the state.
Maree Wood – Democratic Labor Party
While Adem Somyurek is the Democratic Labor Party nominee who says he can hold Daniel Andrews to account, fellow nominee Maree Wood will be trying to oust the Premier from parliament altogether.
Ms Wood, who ran in the 2014 election for the Rise Up Australia Party, was contacted for comment.
Jane Foreman – Family First Party
Former nurse Jane Foreman is running for the Family First Party in Mulgrave, after having run for the party previously in federal elections.
Victoria’s gay conversion laws would be wound back as a priority under a bold election promise by the party.
Ms Foreman was contacted for comment.
Anne Moody – Independent
Small business owner Anne Moody said she was running in Mulgrave because she felt “compelled to seek justice and confront the inhumane actions of Daniel Andrews”.
“I never imagined a government could be so cruel and heartless in locking us down without giving any significant data or evidence to prove that this was necessary,” Ms Moody told the Herald Sun.
Born in the Philippines, she said she has a “significant connection” with the Springvale in particular.
“I believe I have what it takes to represent the district of Mulgrave firmly and fairly.”
Fotini Theodossopoulou – Independent
Mulgrave local Fotini Theodossopoulou said she was motivated to run in Mulgrave because she became “greatly concerned” about the morale of her local community, city and state at large.
“I can see the exasperation in people’s faces, the despair, the fear; the sadness in their eyes,” she said.
“I can see and hear them making plans to leave their home … and that bothered me.
“It appears that our community won’t begin to heal until we have achieved fundamental changes and I’d like to be part of that process.”
Ms Theodossopoulou said she was passionate about supporting small businesses, believing them to be an “invaluable asset” to both community and democracy.
Joseph Toscano – Independent
Doctor Joseph Toscano has nominated for the seat of Mulgrave because he is “sick and tired” of construction for construction’s sake.
“I wish to turn the electorate of Mulgrave and the government’s focus to positive human focused reforms,” Dr Toscano told the Herald Sun.
“The Victorian government should satisfy basic human needs … before continuing with the never-ending construction blitz it has embarked on.”
Dr Toscano said these needs were food security, energy security, housing, health, education and recreation.
Ezra Isma – Independent
Independent Ezra Isma was contacted for comment.
More Coverage
Top scientist to drive state’s clean energy push
The Victorian government has revealed its expert panel appointed to resurrect the state electricity commission months after the election.
Liberals win last seat in Victorian election
The Liberal Party has finally claimed the electorate of Narracan two months after the state election, bringing the Coalition to one more seat than it held after 2018.