By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Premier Daniel Andrews has drawn top position on the Mulgrave ballot-paper but faces a bumper field of 13 opponents for the upcoming State Election.
Topping the draw is thought to deliver Mr Andrews a slight advantage in what is considered a very safe Labor seat.
But this election, Mr Andrews faces a bevy of Mulgrave independents and parties, many who have expressly targeted him and his Government as their No.1 enemy.
Monash University politics senior lecturer Dr Zareh Ghazarian says the Premier should be safe in his seat, given his estimated margin of 15.8 per cent.
“The extra candidates will have some impact – they will chip away some votes away from the major parties.
“Voters may support independents and minor parties if they feel the major parties have not addressed issues they feel as being important.”
Unusually, seven independent candidates make up half the field.
Among the candidates are I Cook Foods founder Ian Cook, who has declared he’s out to unseat the Premier. His claims of his Dandenong South business being wrongfully shut down by authorities was set to be freshly aired on Nine Network’s Under Investigation on 14 November.
Satirist Howard Lee, aka Howard X, is impersonating North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, claiming “Beijing Dan” had approved the Chinese Communist Party’s “invasion of Victoria” through Belt and Road projects.
He’s also ‘promising’ a “long-range high-tech missile factory” in Mulgrave, and a $100 million fund for “Korean-style TV dramas, movies, and K-Pop groups” in Victoria.
There’s also retired art collector Andrew King, a Cook supporter who offered to pay for other independents to nominate against Mr Andrews.
Mr King was among four independents who officially lodged their candidacies on the last day of nominations on 11 November.
Election veteran and anarchist Joseph Toscano has also thrown his hat in the ring.
Liberal, DLP and Family First candidates would also be considered hostile to Mr Andrews.
The Greens have stated they’re preferencing Labor ahead of Liberal across all seats.
But their Mulgrave candidate Robert Lim stated in a Star Journal candidate survey that he’s running because “I can no longer tolerate Labor”.
Seven candidates – those who returned Star Journal surveys ahead of print deadline – listed their top issues. These included affordable housing, mental health and small business support.
Liberal candidate Michael Piastrino did not return a Star Journal survey.
In response to the line-up of rivals, Mr Andrews told Star Journal that “elections aren’t about individuals”.
“They’re about the plans we put forward to make our communities and our state a fairer, safer place to live for everyone.
“I – and our entire Labor team – are focused on doing what matters, on putting forward a positive and optimistic plan for every Victorian – not on political stunts.”
Mr Andrews won the seat with a 12.7 per cent margin in 2018.
After a boundary redistribution, the seat’s margin is estimated to have risen to 15.8 per cent.
Mulgrave candidate surveys are published on dandenongstarcommunity.com.au
