The fresh faces and personalities to shake up state parliament
A movie drive-in worker, an engineer and a former politics teacher are among Labor candidates who could claim seats in state parliament’s lower house after the party’s shock election landslide. Here are the newcomers due to shake things up.
Victoria State Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria State Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A movie drive-in worker, an engineer and a former politics teacher are among Labor candidates who could claim seats in a major shake-up of state parliament’s lower house.
A landslide will result in Labor picking up at least six and as many as 11 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
‘I HOPE KROGER IS LIBERAL PRESIDENT FOR LIFE’: PREMIER
LATE MP’S ALLY MAKES RUN FOR NORTHCOTE
Fresh faces in Spring St will include Swinburne University politics teacher Dustin Halse, 33, who signed on as Labor’s Ringwood candidate in August and threw together a 10-week campaign with help from a dozen friends.
The Health Services Union national campaigns and policy co-ordinator felt something was in the air as he campaigned at train stations and public events, but kept a lid on his own expectations.
“It was a surprise,” he said of his win. “The only promise I made to our volunteers and (voters) was that I would be the hardest working member of the community for them.”
The academic, who has a doctorate in the political history of the Australian labour movement, said his first day in parliament would be less daunting because he would not be the only Labor member from the eastern suburbs.
“We are all new to this and it will be a shared learning experience,” he said. “It’s so great that we have a group of us from the east — it’s like an eastern Labor caucus.”
Labor picked up a cluster of seats in the eastern suburbs, including neighbouring Box Hill, Burwood and Mount Waverley.
Although the ALP had planned to seize Burwood despite it being considered a Liberal area, the party’s expanding territorial gains caught it by surprise.
Burwood was won by a member of the well-known Fowles auctions family, Will Fowles, a communications consultant who managed Jennifer Yang’s recent unsuccessful run for Lord Mayor.
Remarking on the eastern suburbs wins, he said: “We were always hopeful of being able to create a red island in the east by taking Burwood.
“It would be disingenuous to say the results in Box Hill and even Hawthorn were anything but a surprise.”
In Hawthorn, Labor’s John Ormond Kennedy, who campaigned from his retirement village home, fell just short of unseating Liberal frontbencher John Pesutto.
Most of the new faces in parliament will be from metropolitan seats, although in the far northwest seat of Mildura independent Ali Cupper is firming to claim a win by ejecting 12-year Nationals MP Peter Crisp.
Ms Cupper, a former deputy mayor, said she had gathered a following after starting in local politics as a progressive “fish out of water”.
JOBS GO BEGGING IN COUNTRY VICTORIA
THE VICTORIAN TOWN TRYING TO SAVE ITSELF
“I’ve gone from the local ratbag stirring the pot — at least, that’s how I was perceived by some — to a credible candidate,” she said.
“I’m anxiously awaiting a result, but we are picking up rumours on the grapevine.
“If we’ve waited 12 years in a safe seat, we can wait 48 hours more.”
Close seats like Mildura and others in the inner city aren’t expected to be called until Wednesday or Thursday. Primary votes are to be checked and uncounted postal votes added.
Among those to suffer narrow defeats was Declan Martin, 19, in Brighton, who spent just $1750 on his campaign.
When early votes fell in his favour, the teen, who is still on his learner’s permit, floated the prospect of carpooling to parliament.
Shocked by his strong polling on Saturday night, Mr Martin said he had “been drinking water and trying to sit down as much as possible”
WHO’S WHO IN THE LOWER HOUSE
FRESH FACES
Jordan Crugnale (ALP), Bass
The teacher unseated one-term Liberal MP Brian Paynter in the rapidly growing electorate. Said to have developed a strong work ethic after her father gifted her a lawnmower for sixth birthday.
Paul Hamer (ALP), Box Hill
An eastern suburbs engineer, with a masters in engineering science, elected in his first run for office.
Signs are up - election must be getting close. pic.twitter.com/hvq2jxRaaP
— Paul Hamer (@PaulHamer) November 4, 2018
Matt Fregon (ALP), Mount Waverley
An IT business owner who has clinched the seat held for eight years by the Liberals.
Dustin Halse (ALP), Ringwood
Health Services Union campaigns and policy co-ordinator who taught politics at Swinburne University, but will now get a real-life lesson.
Will Fowles (ALP), Burwood
From the Fowles auctions family, he won 40.5 per cent of first-preference votes to reverse the Liberals’ three per cent hold on a seat thought to have been safe in hands of two-term MP Graham Watt.
The Suburban Rail Loop is a game changer for our city. Delighted to join the announcement today with â¦@DanielAndrewsMPâ© and â¦@JacintaAllanMPâ© #springst #laborforburwood pic.twitter.com/YKo7TVRZPL
— Will Fowles (@willfowles) August 28, 2018
Darren Cheeseman (ALP), South Barwon
The former federal politician will swap Canberra for Spring St after a huge swing to Labor in the electorate taking in Torquay and the western fringes of Geelong.
Kat Theophanous (ALP), Northcote
Daughter of former Labor minister Theo Theophanous, she has reclaimed the inner-city seat lost to Greens during a by-election last year.
POSSIBLE DEBUTANTS
Cindy O’Connor (ALP), Brunswick
The union organiser looks to have fended off the Greens in the seat the minor party was most confident of picking up.
Bringing it home for @Cindy4Brunswick - a strong woman who will deliver for Brunswick #Cindy4Brunswick #springst #VicVotes2018 pic.twitter.com/zvzNi0X17M
— Jenny Mikakos MP (@JennyMikakos) November 24, 2018
Sarah De Santis (ALP), Ripon
Big election commitments and multiple campaign visits from Premier Daniel Andrews appears to have boosted Beaufort’s Sarah De Santis, who could claim what was the most marginal Liberal seat in the state, held by Louise Staley.
Chris Brayne (ALP), Nepean
Balnarring local may have to give up weekend job at Dromana drive-in and love of writing sitcom pilot scripts, with the Mornington Peninsula seat held by the Liberals recording big swing to Labor.
Ali Cupper (Ind), Mildura
Local councillor and lawyer could ride into parliament with a little help from preferences in seat held by Nationals MP PeterCrisp since 2006.
NO.MORE.CRUMBS. Shake it up and change the game on November 24 for more say, more funding and more jobs for our community and our families #shakeitup #changethegame #springst #vicstateelection2018 #mildura #alicupperindependent #worthmore pic.twitter.com/O3rV5joIER
— Ali Cupper (@AliCupper) May 21, 2018
Jennifer Kanis (ALP), Melbourne
The social justice lawyer had hoped to exact revenge on Ellen Sandell, the Greens MP who took her seat in 2014, but may just fall short this time around.
NEAR-MISSES
Declan Martin (ALP), Brighton
The 19-year-old candidate — still on his learner’s permit and living at home — spent $1750 on his campaign in the “unwinnable” bayside seat but just 1500 votes separated him and Liberal James Newbury at last count.
.@LiberalVictoria’s catastrophic defeat was no more evident than in the previously safe seat of Brighton where a 19-year-old came within a whisker of pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Victorian political history. @tdolling #VicVotes #7News pic.twitter.com/SFxWMfY8Dw
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) November 25, 2018
John Ormond Kennedy, Hawthorn
Senior Liberal MP John Pesutto faced his near demise while live on TV last night at the hands of the former naval officer and education consultant, who lives in a retirement village.
Anita Horvath (ALP), Sandringham
The bilingual bushwalker and lawyer almost turned the tide in Sandringham, where she polled almost 33 per cent of first preference votes and gave a scare to new Liberal MP Brad Rowswell.
Thanks for your support of the @DanielAndrewsMP, his policies, & team who knew he does and will deliver.
— Anita Horvath - Victorian Labor for Sandringham (@AnitaForSandy) November 25, 2018
What a splendid, well deserved victory!
My fortune remains undecided. Happy to be part of the campaign positively forwards. Tidying up to ‘The Russians are Coming! ‘ Oh Guy!
Jackson Taylor (ALP), Bayswater
The police officer got a last minute call up after Labor candidate Peter Lockwood was dumped over bullying allegations but trailed Liberal MP Heidi Victoria by 72 votes at last count.
MORE STATE ELECTION NEWS:
A TALE OF TWO ELECTION PARTIES
Libs retain Ripon after thriller re-count
The Liberals appear to have held on to their most marginal seat — but only just. This is how many votes separated MP Louise Stalety and Labor candidate Sarah De Santis.
O’Brien set to lead shattered Liberals
Former state treasurer Michael O’Brien appears set to take leadership of the Victorian Liberals. It comes after a 71-year-old retired naval officer who has never learnt to drive ended the leadership hopes of John Pesutto.