The once regular election candidate has taken a shot at independent hopefuls running in the North East, hinting they are in dreamland if they expect to win.

Ms Leschen also said member for Indi Cathy McGowan would not have contested the federal seat if it was not for Labor.

Finally, the Ovens Valley resident said the member for Benambra Bill Tilley enjoyed a cushion in election campaigns because he was being paid compared to Labor rivals who were “volunteers”.

Those in Ms Leschen’s firing line would no doubt contest her opinions and debates will play out.

But we say the Labor stalwart needs to take some heat over her view the media is to blame for the left-wing party being unable to stump up a candidate who lives in the seat of Ovens Vallley for the second consecutive Victorian election.

Ms Leschen argues the media experience of 2014 Labor candidate Gail Cholosznecki, who came from Melbourne scared off locals from representing Labor.

Ms Cholosznecki took more than 50 days after her preselection to visit Wangaratta and then failed to attend a debate and appear in the seat in the last week of the campaign.

Those facts alone showed Labor was not offering a committed candidate and current party contender, another Melburnian, Kate Doyle has failed to show for a debate.

Ms Leschen says it is hard for locals to stand for Labor because they may lose work through identifying with the party and they don’t have the resources of incumbent conservative MPs.

Those points have more validity than blaming the media, but they still ignore the fact that Labor should be grooming talent to stand, to add to previous contenders such as former Wodonga councillor Eric Kerr and Indigo councillor Barb Murdoch.

Yes the North East is safe conservative territory, but as a Labor stalwart, if you want that to change and argue against independents, then you need to oversee a credible alternative.