Liberals pick Donnie Grigau to run against Lisa Neville

BOROUGH of Queenscliffe councillor Donnie Grigau has been endorsed by the Liberals to stand in the seat of Bellarine against incumbent Labor MP Lisa Neville.

Officially chosen by the Liberals late last month, Mr Grigau was elected as a councillor in the borough 18 months ago but is looking to step up to the next level of government at the state election on November 26.

Mr Grigau has run the Shelter Shed restaurant in Queenscliff for the past six years, and previously spent 20 years in the fashion and consumer retail sector as a product developer and brand manager.

In the biography on his campaign website, Mr Grigau is described as being someone who “seeks more, does more, achieves more”.

He also “cares deeply about putting people first – and his keen eye on matters of governance, accountability and transparency in government are key to achieving this”, “believes that government is a service industry that must deliver fiscal responsibility”, and “knows good government must also provide hope and a positive direction to Recover and Rebuild”.

Mr Grigau has also been active on his campaign Facebook page, posting on topics including Victoria’s need for a back-up Triple Zero dispatch system, how the Liberals and Nationals will slash government waste and invest in fixing the health crisis, and why the community needs more police on duty patrolling on the Bellarine.

He faces an uphill battle to win the District of Bellarine, as Ms Neville holds the seat on a margin of more than 10 per cent and won at the 2018 state election with 57.3 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.