FORMER Corangamite federal member Darren Cheeseman has re-entered Geelong politics, winning pre-selection to represent Labor in the seat of South Barwon in next year\u2019s state election.<\/p>\n
Mr Cheeseman was formerly the Labor MP for the federal seat of Corangamite, defeating Liberal Stewart McArthur in 2007 and losing the seat to incumbent Liberal Sarah Henderson in 2013.<\/p>\n
He was officially endorsed by Labor last week. \u201cI think South Barwon is very much a seat that Labor can win \u2013 it\u2019s quite different today to what it was like even five or six years ago, with all of the growth that\u2019s happening in Armstrong Creek,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very different electorate from the southern end to the northern end.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liberal MP Andrew Katos holds South Barwon by just under three per cent and Mr Cheeseman said Armstrong Creek would be \u201ca bit of an X factor\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know how they\u2019re going to vote, though I suspect they\u2019ll be Labor voters, or at least a large percentage.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said his previous experience with South Barwon \u2013 which lies entirely within Corangamite \u2013 would be an advantage.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know these communities inside out, I know what motivates them in terms of how they vote, and I think bringing all that experience and knowledge to the table will, I believe, be the difference in winning the seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
After losing Corangamite in 2013, Mr Cheeseman moved to his home town of Ballarat and took up a position in the office of Labor Senator Gavin Marshall.<\/p>\n
Mr Katos said he did not underestimate Mr Cheeseman as a political rival.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very experienced opponent, he\u2019s been there and done it, he knows what it\u2019s about, but I\u2019m happy to stand by my track record of delivering infrastructure for the communities of South Barwon.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t know why he still references himself as a local \u2013 quite frankly, I don\u2019t think anyone\u2019s seen him in four years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FORMER Corangamite federal member Darren Cheeseman has re-entered Geelong politics, winning pre-selection to represent Labor in the seat of South Barwon in next year\u2019s state election. Mr Cheeseman was formerly the Labor MP for the federal seat of Corangamite, defeating Liberal Stewart McArthur in 2007 and losing the seat to incumbent Liberal Sarah Henderson in […]<\/p>\n