The Nationals opened nominations for the Murray Plains seat on Tuesday, March 31, with candidates facing a 5pm deadline this Thursday, April 9, to gather the required signatures.
This marks the first contested pre-selection for Murray Plains since the seat was created from the former Rodney and Swan Hill electorates in 2014, making it a significant moment in the region’s political history.
The candidates will seek to succeed long-serving State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh.
Outgoing Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking officially threw his hat in the ring on Wednesday, April 1.
Mr Hosking is a fifth-generation Quambatook farmer with extensive experience in agricultural politics.
He served as the VFF’s grains president before becoming overall president and has held positions in numerous grain and farming organisations over the years.
Mr Hosking will be advocating to bring Murray Plains back into the forefront of Victoria and make sure agricultural industries don’t get left behind on the chamber floor.
“What I'm hearing from our community members is ... they feel a little bit neglected (by the Victorian Government) or a bit overlooked — maybe even taken for granted,” he said.
“I want the industries that support our community – our nurses, our hospitals, our teachers, our farmers – to feel like they’re valued and they’re wanted in our community.
“If I can make a difference in that space, then I’ll be pretty excited.”
Regional prosecutor Alexander Lew formally put his name on the pre-selection ticket on Wednesday, April 8.
Mr Lew lives at Burramboot, near Rochester, on a family farm that produces cereal crops, wine grapes, cattle and sheep.
He travels across Northern Victoria as a senior prosecutor with the Office of Public Prosecutions and previously served as a councillor in inner-city Melbourne.
Mr Lew’s pre-selection campaign will focus on opposing net-zero emissions targets while working to reduce long-term fuel and electricity costs for regional residents, a topic he believes will take centre stage in the Nationals’ campaign statewide this year.
“Policies like net-zero and water buybacks drive up costs for farmers, reduce competitiveness and make regional industries more vulnerable to global pressures,” Mr Lew said.
“We need practical solutions that support farmers, small businesses and families in our region; not policies that kill off industries and make it harder to live, work and invest in regional Victoria.”
With nominations closing at 5pm on Thursday, April 9, and only two confirmed nominees, speculation continues about whether additional candidates will enter the race in the final hours.
The focus will then shift to the local branch members as candidates pitch themselves as the party’s best chance for re-election.
The winner of the pre-selection will face the task of maintaining the Nationals' stronghold on the seat, which Mr Walsh has held with a significant margin since its inception.
No date for the pre-selection vote has been set in stone, however, Victorian Nationals’ state director Jake McKenzie-Edwards said the party would expect to have a candidate by early May at the latest.
Any Nationals pre-selection candidates, or candidates for other parties, are encouraged to contact the Riv ahead of the state election by emailing editorial@riverineherald.com.au
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