By CASEY NEILL
CLARE O’Neil on Monday won a messy pre-selection battle for the safe Labor seat of Hotham, in ALP hands since 1990.
The ALP’s national executive unanimously voted to endorse her to replace retiring former minister and one-time party leader Simon Crean, after former candidate Geoff Lake was forced to step down.
“My family and I are currently in the process of moving back into the local area,” she told the Star yesterday (Wednesday).
The 32-year-old was elected as a City of Greater Dandenong councillor in 2003 and after just one year, at age 23, became the youngest female mayor in Australian history.
“As mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong I oversaw one of the biggest capital works programs in the municipality’s history, which included The Drum Theatre,” she said.
“Being on council and serving as mayor gave me the opportunity to engage with the local community through our schools, community centres and the rich, culturally diverse community in Springvale.”
The National Union of Workers-backed candidate works for management consultancy firm McKinsey and Company, has arts and law degrees from Monash University and a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard University, where she studied on a scholarship in 2006.
“Since leaving council I have worked in both the public and private sectors,” she said.
“I would be deeply honoured to represent the people of Hotham in our nation’s parliament and build on the proud legacy of Simon Crean.”
Councillor Roz Blades served alongside Ms O’Neil.
“I supported her mayoralty,” she said.
“She is highly intelligent, very enigmatic, but also very sensitive to the needs of people.
“She was a very good councillor, she represented her area well and she was good to work with.
“I reckon she’ll do a very good job for the people of Hotham, if they want a young dynamic, intelligent representative.”
Palmer United Party candidate for Hotham Sam Porter said Ms O’Neil, unlike him, did not live or work in the electorate.
“Ms O’Neil cannot possibly claim to understand the needs of Hotham as she has never had any experience in our electorate and does not reside here,” he said.
He said Ms O’Neil had been a Labor Party member since she was 17 and “groomed for a political future”.
“I am not a career politician but have life work experience working as an accountant for various Australian businesses and sporting organisations,” he said.
“I have life experience outside the political sphere and I am confident this will benefit the residents of my electorate.”
He said he was standing because the major parties had taken Hotham residents for granted.
“In the words of the inaugural Hotham MP Don Chipp, I’m running for Parliament to keep the bastards honest and hold the major parties accountable,” he said.
