WODONGA has had its fair share of political faces visit in recent months, but according to its local Labor Party members, there’s only one that matters.
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The party’s Benambra candidate Jennifer Podesta considered inviting a few party bigwigs for her official campaign launch at her Beechworth Road headquarters yesterday — Steve Bracks and John Brumby’s names were bandied about — but in the end, she decided to keep it local, with about two dozen volunteers attending.
The electorate, which is held by Liberal MP Bill Tilley with a margin of 15.9 per cent, has garnered attention from state and federal Labor MPs of late, largely at the behest of Ms Podesta.
These include state parliamentary secretary for education Colin Brooks, parliamentary secretary for the premier Don Nardella, and federal MP Joel Fitzgibbon.
On Wednesday, Senator Stephen Conroy will join that list when he attends a luncheon at the Wodonga Turf Club and speaks on regional security.
It raises questions over whether the Opposition Leader himself, Daniel Andrews, could be persuaded to make a visit to the North East, particularly given he grew up in Wangaratta.
Ms Podesta said she had asked him to visit several times but so far, no luck.
But she said while a visit from Mr Andrews “would be nice”, it was more important to have other MPs like Mr Brooks see first-hand the issues Benambra faced.
“He’s actually in that (education) portfolio so he needs to see and hear from us what we need,” she said.
“The campaign really needs to be about us and what we can do.
“It’s got to be about us here and rebuilding the local membership, and engaging with the local community.”
With just four weeks to go until the November 29 election, Ms Podesta expected her campaign to move up a gear.
She would be attending Thursday’s candidates’ forum at St Stephens Church in Wodonga.
