Independent up for Bendigo East challenge

A community services advocate and practitioner born and schooled in Bendigo has announced her candidacy as an independent for the seat of Bendigo East ahead of November’s state election.

Mother of three, Liz Wright, is setting herself the considerable task of taking on incumbent Bendigo East MP and Premier of Victoria, Labor’s Jacinta Allan, and Nationals candidate and local hospitality industry veteran Andrew Lethlean.

The St Kilians Primary School and Catholic College Bendigo alumni will aim to refocus the narrative during her campaign from city-centric politics back towards the local electorate, including its smaller communities.

She said often-forgotten townships include Axedale, Bagshot, Goornong, Huntly, Longlea, Neilborough, Raywood, Sebastian, Wellsford and Woodvale.

Wright said she has made the choice to run as an independent as she doesn’t want to be drawn into any party politics.

“I want to be able to listen to the electorate, take an issue, no matter which side of politics it comes from,” she said.

“If it’s a good thing for my electorate and the electorate wants it, then we should do it.”

She said she’s fully aware of the challenges regarding the “two really high profile candidates” she is running against.

“They have lots of money and exposure behind them,” she admitted.

“So, what I’m trying to do is not focus on the personalities as such, but focus on the issues that I stand for (including family violence prevention, better public transport, and rural roads).

“It’s about wanting to advocate, wanting to do this for my community, and not so much about who I’m up against.

“For me a good result is, whether or not I win, it’s more about that there has been more focus put on regional and rural issues.”

She said the community response to her candidacy so far has been encouraging.

“Everyone’s been really positive actually,” she said.

“It’s funny, everybody asks who is really backing me as if they think I’ve got some machine behind me.

“I can guarantee I don’t – I’m just me, I don’t have any affiliation with anybody else.

“So far people have really appreciated it and said, ‘Good on you for having a go’.”

Wright believes the positive response stems from the fact that she lives and works in the community.

“I know what it’s like to wait at the public hospital with my kid,” she said.

“I know what it’s like to think, how am I going to pay for the school fees this week?”

Her core message to voters is to not give up hope.

“I think there’s a lot of negativity in politics,” she said.

“But, I’m hopeful that we can support a system where people can have robust discussions and make positive decisions.

“I’m here to say that I’m someone that’s about listening to the electorate.

“I’ve been advocating for years for people that I work with and I see this as a broader opportunity through the community.

“Independents have caused some huge changes in policies over the years and there’s no reason why I can’t either.”