By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Council elections could be the first litmus test for the Labor State Government on its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, a political expert says.
Nick Economou, from Monash University’s School of Political and Social Inquiry, said there may be ‘blow back’ against the plethora of ALP candidates in Greater Dandenong council elections.
As Victoria slowly eases from a second-wave lockdown, there was debate on whether Premier Daniel Andrews was “loathed or loved”, Dr Economou said.
“My feeling is the voters will be angry with the Government but there’s no evidence to back it up.
“This is really the first electoral test for everybody in politics since Covid-19.”
On the other hand, the re-introduced single-member ward voting system would make it harder for minor parties and independent candidates to win seats.
Traditionally, Greater Dandenong is a Labor stronghold in all spheres of government including the local council.
A sizeable number of ALP members make up the October poll’s record field of 67 candidates across 11 wards.
By party rules, ALP members – even if not endorsed by the party – are required to preference each other ahead of other parties and independents.
According to outgoing Cr Peter Brown, ALP turf wars were taking place in the election.
The Socialist Left faction is attempting to muscle in after Right powerbroker Adem Somyurek departed the party amid branch-stacking allegations, he said.
The Cambodian Association of Victoria led by departing Cr Youhorn Chea was also involved in four Ward battles, he said.
Cr Brown expects unpredictable preference flows to “blow all over the place” in the postal ballot.
No candidate how-to-vote cards will appear in voter postal packs. Candidates can express preferences during campaign letter-boxing.
However, Cr Matthew Kirwan – who is not contesting as a candidate but backing Keysborough South Greens candidate Rhonda Garad – was alarmed by “dummy candidates everywhere”.
“People with no profile and even one candidate with no contact details.
“Attendance voting was the only way to run a proper election and the election should have been delayed to allow that happen.”
In response to a Star Journal survey, some self-described “independents” declined to answer the question on their political party allegiances.
Many candidates declined and deleted questions in their survey response. The dodged issues were business and property interests, campaign budget and donors, ‘inappropriate development’ and their position on the Green Wedge.
In other trends, some ALP-member candidates have openly targeted candidates from real estate agencies.
Again some real estate agent candidates appear to have not declared their professions in the Star Journal survey, though that information is easily found online.
Former and departing councillors Roz Blades, Youhorn Chea and Matthew Kirwan are also working with candidates.
Cr Sophie Tan, an ALP member running in Noble Park Ward, has received notable endorsement from both Ms Blades and Cr Chea.
Ms Blades features prominently in Cr Tan’s promotional material. The former long-serving mayor’s help has also been acknowledged by several other ALP member candidates in their Star Journal surveys.
Cr Chea has sat down with several candidates, including Cr Tan, in sit-down interviews on the Springvale-based Cambodian Association of Victoria Facebook page.
Leang Vuoch Kong (Springvale South Ward), Angela Holl (Springvale North) and Richard Lim (Springvale Central) are also backed by Cr Chea.
Cr Kirwan has publicly endorsed Rhonda Garad as his preferred successor in Keysborough South Ward.
