Eric the Hiking: candidate will visit every town

WODONGA councillor Eric Kerr will be Labor’s youngest Victorian candidate in next year’s federal election at the age of 22.

Cr Kerr has been officially endorsed as the party’s candidate in Indi after being the only nomination before last Friday’s deadline.

Labor is the first major party to announce its candidate in Indi for the election which could be held as early as August next year in the event the Coalition government doesn’t call an early poll.

Cr Kerr was only 18 when elected to Wodonga Council in 2012.

“Announcing early gives myself the opportunity to immediately start advocating for local issues and proving I will fight a long and hard battle to achieve the best representation for Indi,” he said.

“I’ll be making sure we visit every town in the electorate, from Wodonga to Kinglake and everywhere in between.

“It is important we are out hearing and providing real solutions to local issues to prove our worth to voters come election time.

“This will be a campaign to put regional and rural matters at the forefront of the agenda.”

If successful in winning Indi, Cr Kerr won’t be the youngest MP.

The honour belongs to Liberal Wyatt Roy who won the Queensland seat of Longman at the 2010 election aged 20.

Cr Kerr, 21, said Labor would hold crucial meetings this weekend to begin identifying the major priorities in Indi which could be the subject of election promises during the campaign.

“I’m very hopeful we will get the support we need to run a successful campaign,” Cr Kerr said.