CATHY McGowan has put an end to recent speculation about her not seeking re-election for the federal seat of Indi.
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The independent MP recently cast doubts on whether she would stand again, but at a snap press conference in Wodonga yesterday Ms McGowan announced she would be chasing a second term in office.
She will make an official announcement of her re-election push during Winery Walkabout festivities at Rutherglen tomorrow.
Uncertainty about her standing coincided with the announcement by Ms McGowan’s predecessor, Sophie Mirabella, she would be seeking to become the Liberal candidate at the next election.
Ms McGowan’s commitment to standing again also comes after the end of an Australian Federal Police investigation into voter irregularities at the 2013 election.
Federal police have handed over briefs of evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions alleging four voters falsely enrolled in Indi.
Ms McGowan, who was interviewed as part of the investigation, yesterday defended the 2013 election campaign run by Voice-For-Indi.
“I am absolutely optimistic the legal processes will do what they need to do,” she said.
“I have great confidence in how we ran the last campaign and we will run the next one in a values-driven way.
“There will be transparency and I will definitely be focusing on young people and having them involved again.”
Ms McGowan said she had strong support from people who voted for her two years ago.
“I take the role very seriously and there is a lot of unfinished business,” she said.
“When I am speaking to people they say ‘you have begun Cathy, money is flowing into the electorate, good things are happening, you need to do more’ and I am prepared to do it.”
She will be a participant in the celebrity grape stomp at Rutherglen tomorrow, hosted by former state MP Ken Jasper.
Her victory over Mrs Mirabella by less than 500 votes was one of the biggest shocks of the last election with her opposition next year to include Liberal, National and Labor party candidates.
“Every vote will count and I say to the people of Indi what a wonderful gift we’ve given you,” she said.
“I’m hoping it will be a policy election and they can choose the candidate who has got the best policies for Indi.
“There was some comment in the last election that you needed to be a cabinet minister.
“I think I’ve shown a really good independent, who is respectful of the parliamentary processes gets access where they need it and deliver back to electorate.”
Ms McGowan said progress on the NBN, mobile phone blackspots and the North-East rail service were among her biggest first-term achievements.
She expected the next election to be held late next year.
