Candidates for state election revealed

THE field is set for November 24’s state election, with nominations for candidates closing last Friday at noon.

Eight will contest the seat of Geelong (all lists are in nomination order, not ballot order), the same as in 2014 and two more than 2010:
• Gottfried Wolf – independent
• Darryn Lyons – independent
• Sarah Hathway – Victorian Socialists
• Christine Couzens – Australian Labor Party (incumbent)
• Jacki Jacka – Animal Justice Party
• Lois Newman – Australian Greens
• Freya Fidge – Liberal
• Stephen Juhaz – independent.

In South Barwon, eight candidates have thrown their hat in the ring, the same as 2014 and one less than in 2010:
• David Ball – Victorian Socialists
• Robert Ripa – Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Vic
• Damien Cole – independent
• Darren Cheeseman – Australian Labor Party
• Peter Oseckas – Animal Justice Party
• Marian Smedley – Australian Greens
• Stephen Campbell – Labour DLP
• Andrew Katos – Liberal (incumbent).

The seat of Bellarine drew only five people to nominate, a considerable drop from the eight candidates in 2010 and nine in 2014:
• Jackie Kriz – Victorian Socialists
• Lisa Neville – Australian Labor Party (incumbent)
• Naomi Adams – Animal Justice Party
• Rachel Semmens – Australian Greens
• Brian McKiterick – Liberal.

Polwarth likewise has a field of five for voters to choose from, compared to four in 2014 and six in 2010:
• Brendan Murphy – Victorian Socialists
• Douglas Johnston – Australian Labor Party
• Damian Pitts – Animal Justice Party
• Courtney Gardner – Australian Greens
• Richard Riordan – Liberal (incumbent).

The upper house seat of Western Victoria Region attracted 46 candidates. Both Labor and the Greens are running full fields of five candidates, while the Liberals are running three and the Nationals two respectively (possibly to reflect their coalition arrangement).

The full list is:
• Stuart James Grimley – Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party
• Michelle Tedesco – Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party
• Michael Bell – Fiona Patten’s Reason Party
• Liam James Hastie – Fiona Patten’s Reason Party
• Mark Wright – Hudson 4 NV
• Hudson, Sally – Hudson 4 NV
• Sonja Ljavroska – Health Australia Party
• Kayleen Thoren – Health Australia Party
• Tim Gooden – Victorian Socialists
• Nada Iskra – Victorian Socialists
• Geoff Collins – Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Vic
• Jaala Pulford – Australian Labor Party (incumbent)
• Gayle Tierney – Australian Labor Party (incumbent)
• Dylan James Wight – Australian Labor Party
• Bernard Gartland – Australian Labor Party
• Lorraine O’dal – Australian Labor Party
• Andy Meddick – Animal Justice Party
• Jen Gamble – Animal Justice Party
• Nicholas Ian Croker – Transport Matters
• Francesco Antonio Raco – Transport Matters
• Lloyd Davies – Australian Greens
• Judy Cameron – Australian Greens
• Peter Mewett – Australian Greens
• David Jefferson – Australian Greens
• Judith Baldacchino – Australian Greens
• Graeme Standen – Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Vic
• Jo Armstrong – The Nationals
• Andrew Black – The Nationals
• Christopher Lynch- Sustainable Australia
• Robert Pascoe – Sustainable Australia
• Frances Beaumont – Labour DLP
• Christian Schultink – Labour DLP
• Costa Di Biase – Australian Country Party
• John Buchholz – Australian Country Party
• Mark Mitchell – Aussie Battler Party
• Anthony Prelorenzo – Aussie Battler Party
• Daniel Macdonald – Australian Liberty Alliance
• Kenneth Nicholls – Australian Liberty Alliance
• Beverley Mcarthur – Liberal
• Joshua Morris – Liberal (incumbent)
• Jennifer Lowe – Liberal
• Katrina Nugent – Voluntary Euthanasia Party (Victoria)
• John Berenyi – Voluntary Euthanasia Party (Victoria)
• Lachlan Christie – Liberal Democrats
• Paul Robson – Liberal Democrats
• Karl Jozef Pongracic – independent.

The Liberals’ Simon Ramsay and independent James Purcell are the other two incumbents in Western Victoria Region, but neither will contest this election – Mr Ramsay announced he would not stand after he was caught drink-driving in July, while Mr Purcell has nominated for the lower house seat of South West Coast.

For more information on the election, head to vec.vic.gov.au/elections/2018StateElection.html.