Libs v Greens as ‘weak’ Labor surrenders Prahran
Battle for Prahran heats up ahead of key test in early 2025 for Liberal leader John Pesutto.
A rare Liberal v Greens election in a key Victorian seat is gathering momentum in the wake of the Victorian ALP’s decision not to contest the by-election.
Desperate to hang on to the electorate of Prahran in the wake of a sex scandal that triggered the resignation of its sitting member, the Greens picked a 26-year-old female candidate on Sunday.
Environmental engineer Angelica Di Camillo — previously the Greens candidate in the federal seat of Higgins at next year’s federal election until it was abolished by the Australian Electoral Commission — will now run in Prahran.
“We simply can’t afford more Liberals who will send us backwards on the issues our community cares about,” Ms Di Camillo said in a statement.
“More Liberals means higher rents, making it even harder to buy a home. It means more money for big corporations and less rights for our diverse community.
“That’s not who we are. Prahran is a progressive community and we deserve a progressive voice in parliament.”
The Liberal Party will pre-select its candidate within weeks for the by-election — expected to be held next February or March — which shapes as a criticial test for the newly resurgent leader John Pesutto.
Opinion polls have placed the Pesutto Opposition ahead of the Allan Government suggesting the political tide is turning after a decade of Labor rule in Victoria.
The Victorian ALP’s decision not to contest the by-election has been criticised by some Labor figures who have described it as a sign of weakness and a lack of confidence Premier Jacinta Allan in her own govermednt.
The by-election has been triggered by the resignation of Greens MP Sam Hibbins after he admitted to an affair with a staffer in the electorate which covers inner souther-eastern suburbs like Prahran and South Yarra.
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