Federal election 2025: Wannon race heats up between Dan Tehan, Alex Dyson
A prominent Victorian farmer has donated $100,000 to an independent challenger in an effort to unseat a Coalition frontbench MP at the upcoming federal election.
A prominent farming family is putting their money where their mouth is in the fight to wrest a formerly safe Liberal seat away from the Coalition at next month’s federal election.
High-profile farmers and climate change activists Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor are donating $100,000 to independent Alex Dyson’s campaign for Wannon, held by Liberal Dan Tehan for 15 years.
Mr Dyson, a former Triple J presenter, first ran for Wannon in 2019 and now on his third go has amassed more than half a million dollars from major backers, plus smaller donations from individuals, with the war chest including $300,000 from renewable energy activist Simon Holmes à Court’s Climate 200.
The western Victorian seat extends from the Surf Coast to the South Australian border - including Hamilton, Warrnambool, Portland, Camperdown and Colac - and is a powerhouse for primary production and energy generation.
Mr Tehan, a former trade minister, saw his grip on the once safe seat weakened after the 2022 election, where his 10.2 per cent margin was whittled to 3.9 per cent.
Securing 44.5 per cent of first preference votes marked a -6.6 per cent swing against the Liberals. Meanwhile Mr Dyson, who grew up in Warrnambool, snagged 19.3 per cent of first preference votes - a gain of 9.6 per cent on his first run in 2019.
Mr Wootton and Ms Kantor, who run Jigsaw Farms at Hamilton, confirmed their donations to Mr Dyson’s campaign totalled $100,000.
Mr Wootton, a former chair of The Climate Institute, said this was the first time they had provided political funding, and implied they were willing to stump up because they believed Dyson had a real chance.
“We looked at it last (election) and pragmatically, thought he (Dyson) had Buckley’s chance,” he said. But this year, he hoped Wannon could follow the example of “these community independent regional ones, out of the mould of Tony Windsor or Rob Oakeshott”, who were “able to work as true independents who do listen, consult and do”.
Mr Dyson said he was “grateful for the support” of Mr Wootton and Ms Kantor who had “shared values around community, integrity, transparency and climate action”.
The independent is declaring all donations above $1000 on his campaign website, and called on major parties to also do so. As of last week, he had 1400 donors. The website disclosed donations from Climate 200, plus the Regional Voices Fund, contributing $20,000and Keep Them Honest Pty Ltd donated $50,000.
While he declined to comment on Mr Dyson’s approach, Mr Tehan said donations to his campaign that met the $16,900 threshold would be disclosed in accordance with Australian Electoral Commission’s rules, which apply each financial year.
Mr Tehan said his fundraising was “self-funded through my grassroots support”.
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