Labor campaign plan to roll on Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au LABOR insiders have credited their “boots on the ground� approach to electioneering for much of the party’s success at winning back government at the state election after just one term in opposition. The party recruited thousands of volunteers to doorknock and call voters in 25 marginal seats around the state, including the Frankston line seats of Frankston, Carrum, Mordialloc and Bentleigh where Labor candidates defeated Liberal incumbents. Labor plans to effectively keep its state election campaign show on the road – and the streets – to roll the strategy out to New South Wales and Queensland during those states’ elections next year. After that, Labor intends to take the fight up to the federal Coalition government at the next federal election using the same strategy to try to ensure Prime Minister Tony Abbott suffers the same “one term� political fate as Denis Naphine. Labor assistant state secretary Kosmos Samaras says the party’s campaign strategy, which relied on volunteers doorknocking and calling undecided voters in marginal seats, will be “a permanent fixture�. Momentum in politics is crucial and Samaras regards Labor’s Community Action Network field campaign as instrumental in helping Daniel Andrews become Victoria’s premier. He reckoned the swing to Labor in the Frankston line marginal seats
Door knock: Union members Frank Howell and Chris Gibson called in at Liberal Upper House MP Inga Peulich’s office last month but there was no answer. Pic: Gary Sissons
showed the strategy works and volunteers who campaigned for Labor will stay motivated and enthusiastic if their support is not just acknowledged during immediate pre-election periods. “That’s the trick‌ we’ll never disband it,â€? Mr Samaras said. The party official said Labor had used “traditionalâ€? means such as TV, radio and print advertising to get its pre-election message out to voters but had also decided to try to get to those voters who tend not to “absorb political messagesâ€?. Mr Samaras was unconcerned when both the Herald Sun and The Age newspapers editorialised against Labor on the eve of last week’s polling day and backed the re-election of the Napthine government. “People do read articles but do they read editorials buried within the paper? I don’t think so.â€?
Ensuring everyone within Labor’s ranks embraced the volunteer-led state election campaign strategy was vital to its success, according to Samaras. He said the Labor aspect of the electioneering plan was separate, but complemented, the similar union campaign. Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari told The News he believed the Liberal Party had made “a strategic misstepâ€? in campaigning “pretty hard against the union movementâ€? as part of their pre-election campaign. “Union members are just regular folk‌ and we went out and had real conversations about real experiences with people,â€? he said. The union head the Napthine government had forced Trades Hall to get involved in the election campaign. He said the disputes with paramedics, nurses and teachers could have been
settled well before last month’s poll. “It was easier to negotiate with the Kennett government,� Mr Hilakari said. The Trades Hall was union funded and not officially part of the Labor campaign. Union members encouraged votes to “put the Liberals last� rather than ask them to vote for Labor. “We were comfortable about people making up their own mind on how to vote. “We’re rapt with the outcome.� The Trades Hall campaigners knocked on 93,000 doors, made 120,000 phone calls and visited 130 booths in marginal seats including the four marginal Frankston line electorates. As election victors, Labor has been willing to talk about its campaign strategy success. The Liberal Party are more reticent about their campaign. Premier Denis Napthine thanked Liberal Party state director Damien Mantach in his election night concession speech for overseeing the Coalition government’s election campaign but the Liberals did seem to be outmanoeuvred by Labor’s field campaign in the weeks before the state election. While Labor and Trades Hall were out speaking to voters, the Liberals relied on ‘cash splash’ announcements and ineffective strategies such as publishing a so-called ‘community newspaper’ called The Southern Express, in reality a thinly-disguised party propaganda brochure, to spruik their public transport promises.
Carrum election count continues VOTE counting is still underway in Carrum more than a week after the state election. Labor’s Sonya Kilkenny remained ahead of Liberal incumbent Donna Bauer by 565 votes on Tuesday evening. The Victorian Electoral Commission is conducting a votes recount. Labor’s Paul Edbrooke will formally win the seat of Frankston today (Wednesday) when the VEC declares Mr Edbrooke a narrow victor over Liberal candidate Sean Armistead. Labor won 46 seats at the state election, the Coalition 38, one went to the Greens, another to an independent and the seat of Prahran is still in doubt.
Reserve upgrades KINGSTON Council has developed a draft plan to transform Mordialloc’s Ben Kavanagh Reserve An expanded community sports pavilion will include improved fencing, playground make-over, extra landscaping and safer traffic access. Community feedback on the upgrades is now invited on the draft master plan, with submissions due by Friday 23 January. Ben Kavanagh Reserve is home to a wide range of local sports groups including the Mordialloc Sporting Club, Mordialloc Super Rules Football Club, Mordialloc Junior Football Club, Mordialloc Football/Netball Club, Mordialloc Cricket Club, Mordialloc Bowls Club, Longbeach Petanque group and other community groups. See kingston.vic.gov.au for full details.
Councillor ‘bad luck’ means meetings missed Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au KINGSTON’S longest-serving councillor has attended the least number of meetings this year. Cr John Ronke has been regularly absent from council chambers when his fellow councillors have debated and made decisions about municipal matters. Since the start of the year, Kingston Council has held 21 meetings including ordinary, planning and special meetings. Cr Ronke has attended just nine of those meetings. Most council business is discussed and voted on by councillors at monthly ordinary meetings. Cr Ronke was present at four of the 11 ordinary meetings held so far this year.
When contacted by The News, Cr Ronke said he did not “see any reason� why he should attend all councillors’ briefings and meetings, but admitted ordinary meetings were important. “I’ve had a fair bit of bad luck this year,� Cr Ronke said. “I haven’t been well at times.� He said he missed the November ordinary meeting due to a nasty accident. “I didn’t make the latest council meeting because I nearly took off the top of my thumb with a power saw... so I wasn’t in the best frame of mind to attend that night,� he said. Cr Ronke’s councillor colleagues have accepted his apology for nonattendance on each of the 12 occasions he has not turned up this year. The Local Government Act states
a councillor’s position will become vacant only when a councillor is absent from four consecutive meetings ordinary meetings without leave obtained by council. Kingston Council has nine elected councillors representing three wards. Cr Ronke’s absence from many council meetings this year forced former mayor Cr Paul Peulich to use his mayoral casting vote to break a four-all deadlock on several contentious decisions, including Kingston Green Wedge planning decisions, during an at times fractious 12 months at council. Cr Geoff Gledhill succeeded Cr Peulich as Kingston mayor last month. Cr Ronke, an Aspendale Gardens resident, was elected to council in
1997 and re-elected in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2012. The South Ward councillor represents Aspendale, Aspendale Gardens, Waterways, Chelsea, Chelsea Heights, Bonbeach, Carrum and Patterson Lakes. Cr Ronke said he believed he could still represent his ward since he knows council procedures and staff so well thanks to his 17 years as a Kingston councillor. “I reckon I can still get a fair bit done,� he said. Kingston councillors receive about $27,500 in remuneration a year. Kingston’s other eight councillors attended, on average, at least 80 per cent of all council meetings throughout the year.
Cr John Ronke
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