By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Anti-ALP sentiment is causing Labor member candidates to hide their true colour – the party’s traditional red, says Greater Dandenong councillor Tim Dark.
Cr Dark, a Liberal financial member standing as an independent in Keysborough Ward, says voters and new candidates were seeking rejuvenation of the Labor-dominated council.
“Some of the councillors have been there for so long. There’s quite a lot of people looking to run and to benefit their community.”
The council had been the “piggy bank” for locally-based Labor state and federal MPs, he said.
“We need candidates able to represent the people and have a voice.”
There’s conjecture on the link between independent candidates, including Cr Dark, and their similar blue-and-yellow brand. As well as the pattern of non-responses to certain questions on the Star Journal candidate questionnaire.
Cr Dark, who insists there’s no alliance or team involved, notes that some ALP members were not proudly sporting the traditional red on their promo material.
In the 2016 election, the majority of ALP candidates were identifying as party members.
“This time around, a lot are not using red… they are definitely wary of identifying as ALP.”
Some were adopting a “Liberal blue”, others a “very dark maroon”.
The difference in 2020 is the lingering impact of ALP State Government’s stage-4 Covid-19 lockdown.
Cr Dark said post-Covid recovery was a “critical” task for the council – whether it’s increasing capital spending or supporting businesses.
“We’ve gone from a powerhouse in manufacturing to pretty much a ghost town where people are unemployed.
“As it goes on and on, it’s not going to be better.”
Brad Woodford, who is running as an independent in Noble Park North Ward, noted the 27 ALP candidates “swamping” Greater Dandenong.
Four of them are running in Noble Park North.
“There is a strong alternative for Greater Dandenong voters this election and the flood of ALP candidates are running scared because of it. For once they don’t have an easy race.
“If it wasn’t for the likes of Silvana McMahon or myself running, voters in this ward would have little choice.
“We are providing an option for voters and in doing so, a desire to see an end to the Labor stranglehold on our municipality.
“Yes, I have had regular communications with the candidates (listed as yellow-and-blue independents), and we have a common desire to end the swamping of ALP representatives in our local council.”
Mr Woodford – like many of the other ‘yellow-and-blues’ – said he had never been a member of the Liberal Party, .
The “real scandal” was ALP candidates being required to preference each other first, he said. They were “putting their own party first before the best interests of their constituents”.
“I don’t have the luxury of having my material printed by a local federal MP like some ALP candidates do.
“So if some of us have collaborated with a commercial printer at our own cost, I don’t see how this could be in anyway considered scandalous.”
