The Basics
- 19 500 sq km, 104,430 enrolled to vote and 18,041 pre-polled up to June 29
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- The main towns are Yarrawonga (key booth), Avenel, Boort, Bridgewater on Loddon, Cobram, Echuca (key booth), Euroa, Kyabram, Mooroopna, Murchison, Nagambie, Nathalia, Numurkah, Rochester, Rushworth, Shepparton (key booth), Tatura, Violet Town and Wedderburn
- Industries include sheep, wheat and fruit processing
What happened last time
Parliamentary member for 20 years Sharman Stone won with 60 per cent of first preferences. In her last term she came to loggerheads with her party as she advocated for funding for SPC Ardmona.
The Candidates
Damian Drum
Ballot order: 1
Party: The Nationals
Bio: The Nationals have gone on a full offensive to try and take this seat from the Liberals with Damian Drum, the former-Fremantle Dockers coach, vacating his Victorian state parliament position for a tilt at the seat. Like Marty Corboy in Indi, Mr Drum has received support from the big wigs of his party with Darren Chester and Fiona Nash stopping by to make a few announcements. These included $97 million for a new Echuca Bridge, $20 million for a Goulburn Valley Jobs and Investment Package, $20 million in more road related projects. The coalition also pledged $550 million in loans for dairy farmers.
Duncan McGauchie
Ballot order: 4
Party: Liberal
Bio: Duncan McGauchie comes from the western part of the Murray electorate and has no easy task trying to hold the seat for the Liberals. His main electoral policies revolve around water, transport and employment. Just like Sophie Mirabella in Indi he has also been at the coalition announcements for funding made by Nationals ministers as well as a boost with a visit from deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop who did a walk-through. Mr McGauchie was a former adviser to the Baillieu government. He has also been doing some interesting things with his social media presence:
Alan John Williams
Ballot order: 10
Party: Australian Labor Party
Bio: Labor got about 20 per cent of first preferences in the last election and it’s hard to see them having an impact in this safe coalition seat. The candidate running for the party is Alan Williams who had a go in a Victorian state election back in 1973. His party have given their preferences to the Liberals ahead of the Nationals which could have a big impact on the two-candidate preferred race between Mr McGauchie and Mr Drum.
Ian Christoe
Ballot order: 3
Party: The Greens
Bio: The Greens have gone the other way with their preferences favouring the Nationals over the Liberals. Mooroopna’s Ian Christoe hopes to boost his party’s 4 per cent first preferences from the 2013 election. The Greens’ believe Murray has potential to be a “solar energy powerhouse”. Mr Christoe has stuck to spruiking the benefits of the Greens broader policies for the electorate.
Fern Summer
Ballot order: 6
Party: Independent
Bio: Fern Summer took a leave of absence from the Greater Shepparton Council to run in this year’s election. In 2013 she nabbed 986 first preference votes running for the Bullet Train for Australia Party, this year she’s going it alone as an independent.
Securing a bullet train for the Murray is still on her wishlist alongside no cuts to Medicare, a Shepparton bypass, fast tracking marriage equality and banning corporate political donations alongside other progressive policies.
Like other independents in the Murray race she is hoping to capitalise on the disillusionment with the major parties and the success of DIY campaigns as seen in neighbouring Indi.
Jeff Davy
Ballot order: 7
Party: Citizens Electoral Council
Bio: Truck driver Jeff Davy got 316 votes in the 2013 election. The CEC predominatley wants to see a Glass-Steagall-style banking which was introduced in the US in 1933 before having elements repealed in 1999. The CEC also believes global warming is “a fraud”.
Robert Danieli
Ballot order: 9
Party: Australian Country Party
Bio: Alexandra man and former councillor Robert Daniele missed out on a spot in the upper house of the Victorian government in 2014 by a handful of votes for the Australian Country Party. His interests are in water and agriculture and, with his party, providing an alternative country option to the Nationals.
Andrew Bock
Ballot order: 2
Party: Independent
Bio: From Euroa, Andrew Bock believes Sharman Stone was a good member for the region but dislikes the war between the Liberals and Nationals over the seat and says it should be about people and policies. Mr Bock is in favour of a mostly fibre NBN, increasing the refugee intake, marriage equality, constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders and raising welfare payments. He is against fracking and pokies.
Nigel Hicks
Ballot order: 5
Party: Independent
Bio: Farmer Nigel Hicks decided to run as an independent because he didn’t believe current political interests had farmers, and, the communities they worked in, in mind. He wants to address “flawed water policy”, reduce irrigation fees, stop the sale of land to overseas interests and establishing a government owned bank to assist with the growth of regional projects alongside other agriculturally-centred policies.
Diane Teasdale
Ballot order: 8
Party: Independent
Bio: Diane Teasdale last ran as an independent in the 2007 election getting 615 first preference votes. Ms Teasdale told the Shepparton News she doesn’t trust the major parties and she has concerns for the dairy industry.
Ms Teasdale has given her preferences to Mr Hicks, second, and the Rise Up Australia Party, third, in the lower house and encouraged voters to vote for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party in the senate.
Yasmin Gunasekera
Ballot order: 11
Party: Rise Up Australia Party
Bio: Yasmin Gunasekera ran for the division of Deakin in the 2013 election where she got 327 votes. She coordinated her parties state and territory presidents during the last election.