Julia’s jewel

By Danny Buttler
JULIA Gillard has got plenty on her mind … but she won’t be losing any sleep over this part of the political world.
The Star’s distribution area seems locked-in Labor territory, with the ALP holding sway in the three local seats.
Labor is expected to hold Isaacs, with sitting member Mark Dreyfus considered a certainty to be re-elected.
The seat takes in Noble Park in the north, to Skye in the south, and includes suburbs like Dandenong South and Lyndhurst.
Manufacturing manager Dale McClelland will take up the fight for the Liberals, while Chris Carman will run for the Greens and Springvale political activist Gordon W. Ford will seek a vote for Independents. Family First candidate Heather Wheatley lists her occupation as singer/songwriter, but it remains to be seen if voters will be dancing to her beat.
Sitting member Alan Griffin is tipped to retain Bruce for the ALP.
With a more than comfortable margin of 8.3 per cent, Labor should comfortably ward-off a challenge by the three other candidates. Pharmacologist Mike Kabos will lead the charge for the Liberal Party, while Stefan Zibell will represent the Greens and Felicity Hemmersbach will offer the Family First alternative.
If the Liberals take Hotham, then Federal leader Tony Abbott should book the removalists for the Lodge.
Running from Murrumbeena to Dingley and incorporating suburbs like Clayton South and Springvale, the seat would seem rusted onto the Labor bandwagon.
Education Minister Simon Crean holds Hotham, with a whopping margin of 13 per cent.
Sri Lankan immigrant Fazal Cader is the Liberal’s candidate and will run on his record as a small business operator.
Retired engineer Geoff Payne will fly the flag for the Greens, Trent Reardon will represent the Australian Secular Party (which encourages separation between church and state) and computer programmer Gary Ong will run for Family First.