By Cam Lucadou-Wells
State election independent candidate Ian Cook says horns are tooting for his cause.
The Mulgrave candidate has launched a new campaign bus, emblazoned with slogans such as ‘Honk if you hate corruption’.
The toots are part of a wave of support, including traditional Labor voters who “want to get rid of (Premier) Daniel Andrews”, he says.
“I can’t tell you the number of people who have wanted to stop and talk to us.”
This election, Mr Cook is facing off against Mr Andrews in the Mulgrave seat. He’s adopted a catch-cry that “I didn’t choose politics, but politics chose me”.
Buoyed by more than $150,000 in donations, Mr Cook has also launched a campaign office in Springvale Road, Mulgrave.
Aside from the roads, he’s also finding support from traders in Springvale’s shopping precinct.
“They are extremely worried about land tax because they say the landlords will pass the cost onto us.
“They actually say thank you for what you’re doing for us.
“I’m not just doing it for Ian Cook – I don’t need this for a job. But I’m doing it for the people of Mulgrave and the wider Victoria.
“I feel the need to use our profile to stop the spread of corruption in Victoria.”
Mr Cook is director of I Cook Foods, which is sueing the State Government and Greater Dandenong Council over the business’s controversial shut-down in 2019.
In what has been dubbed ‘slug-gate’, Mr Cook has accused authories of wrongly shutting down and destroying his business as part of a fatal food-poisoning investigation.
The matter has been examined by two Parliamentary inquiries as well as several police investigations. No charges have been laid against public officials.
He called for supporters to keep donating on his website to keep his campaign in the public eye.
