Nationals reveal Western Victoria candidates

THE Nationals have revealed the contenders for preselection in western Victoria, with the winner to run for the Upper House in the coming state election.

Last week, the party revealed the five potential candidates for the Western Victoria Region ahead of the preselection, which will be held in Ballarat on June 23.

They are:

• Jo Armstrong from south of Ararat
• Andrew Black from Miners Rest
• Michael Neoh from Warrnambool
• Anita Rank from Portland and
• Leila Sweeney-McDougall from Tatyoon.

“The quality of this field demonstrates the strength of The Nationals in Western Victoria,” Nationals state president Neil Pankhurst said “Each of them would make a fine addition to our parliamentary team and help us fight for a better deal for regional Victoria.”

The Nationals were last represented in Western Victoria by David O’Brien, who won the seat in 2010 but lost it at the 2014 election to Vote 1 Local Jobs candidate James Purcell.

The region’s other four seats are presently occupied by Labor’s Jaala Pulford and Gayle Tierney, and Simon Ramsay and Josh Morris from the Liberals.

In other state election news, the Victorian Socialists, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party have proven they have at least 500 members on the Victorian electoral roll and have successfully applied for registration as political parties to the Victorian Electoral Commission.