Moonee Valley councillor Cam Nation forms No East West Link political party ahead of November 29 state election

OPPOSITION to the East West Link has driven a Moonee Valley councillor to spearhead a minor state political party.

Moonee Valley councillor Cam Nation has started a No East West Link party for the state election. The former Liberal member has turned on the party because he does not agree with its stance on the road project. It will have huge impacts on Debney's Park, the community centre, Flemington Estate

OPPOSITION to the East West Link has driven a Moonee Valley councillor to spearhead a minor state political party.

Councillor Cam Nation, a former Liberal member, has applied to register No East West Link as a party ahead of the November 29 polls.

He said the bid was a “last resort” to stop the project, hopeful the party could gain the balance of power in government.

Cr Nation said he was motivated to create the party after his council voted against joining Moreland and Yarra in legal action against the toll road.

Cr Nation, who stood as the Liberal candidate for Footscray in 2006, denied his party would funnel votes to the Liberals through preferences.

“I’m a councillor and I’m going to represent the southern end of Moonee Valley,” he said.

“If I were to even put my name to anything that would be of detriment to my constituents, there is no way I would even be able to set foot in council or look my constituents in the eye.”

Cr Nation, who is yet to decide whether he will personally stand for election, unsuccessfully ran against Fred Ackerman for Liberal preselection in Essendon earlier this year.

He said he ran hoping “having someone local in State Government might be able to play a key role in mitigating the problems we’d face”.

He accused his former party of not acknowledging the local impacts of the project.

Mr Ackerman admitted there would be local disruptions and relocation due to the project, but once the project was complete those services would be restored at “a higher level than ever before”.

Cr Nation said a number of residents are interested in standing for the party in Brunswick, Essendon, Melbourne, Richmond and Legislative Council seats.