It may go down in history as the year that saw former Wangaratta boy Daniel Andrews lead Labor to victory in Victoria, but there has also been plenty happening on the federal stage in the electorates of Farrer and Indi. But, as NATALIE KOTSIOS writes, 2015 may be the year that answers some key questions.
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YOU’D be forgiven for thinking 2014 was a pretty average year for politics on the Border, but you’d be wrong.
Sure, it lacked the drama of 2013 — a history-making election in Indi, and unheard of groundswell of renewed interest in democracy is hard to beat — but scratch beneath the surface and there are plenty of questions still to be answered.
In Farrer Sussan Ley quickly settled in to her fifth term in Parliament, this time back on the “right” side of the chamber.
Locally she faced increased calls for her to change her stance on same-sex marriage, a decision she’ll have to make in the new year with a private members’ bill on that very topic looming.
Her performance as Minister for Childcare and Assistant Minister for Education — not to mention the unofficial rite of passage that is appearing on ABC’s Q&A — gained her much praise.
Her name was regularly among those tossed up for inclusion in Cabinet, and most recently her Murray counterpart Sharman Stone called for a reshuffle that should include her. Turns out Christmas came early for Ms Ley — she was last week promoted to Minister for Health and Sport. How will she juggle Cabinet with her Farrer duties?
New Independent MP for Indi Cathy McGowan got to work quickly, making her mark in Canberra with the likes of Clive Palmer (remember that dinner with Al Gore?), apologising to the stolen generations on behalf of Indi, and opening two electorate offices in Wangaratta and
Wodonga (at a cost of more than $350,000, as recently revealed).
Politics wonks had all eyes on her, having claimed one of the biggest Liberal scalps in former MP Sophie Mirabella — those in her corner cheered every move, those against waited for a slip-up or scandal.
They got it in September — almost exactly a year after she was first elected, doubt was thrown over 27 of her supporters with claims they had engaged in electoral fraud to bolster her vote.
While Ms McGowan is not accused of wrong-doing and Australian Federal Police investigations are ongoing, it cast a shadow on her victory and time will tell how long it lasts.
That incident did bring Mrs Mirabella out of hiding; she’d kept a low public profile since her defeat.
Two days after the Indi votes scandal broke, she appeared at a federal funding announcement, raising eyebrows among cynics and giving rise to speculation she plans on having another crack at Parliament. Watch this space.
Victoria’s state election certainly lacked the hype of last year’s federal fun, but tensions in the North East between the Liberals and Nationals were bubbling in the background.
The Coalition partners were at odds with the Liberals’ decision to run a candidate in Euroa, which the Nats had claimed as theirs — was it payback for Nationals supporting Ms McGowan in 2013, or legitimately a way to shore up votes for the Nationals’ candidate Steph Ryan? Either way, Ms Ryan won the seat.
In Ovens Valley, former Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge tried his luck at state politics with a heavy anti-Nationals agenda, but to no avail. Tim McCurdy was re-elected easily.
Daniel Andrews, a former Wangaratta boy, visited his family’s farm for a dispersal sale, his big red campaign bus a befuddling sight to farmers. Will his rural roots mean the North East gets more attention than under previous governments?
Here’s hoping 2015 has the answers.
