NEWS DESK
Labor enters campaign for Flinders Keith Platt keith@baysidenews.com.au The battle for the seat of Flinders in the May federal election became a threecornered contest on Friday with Labor announcing Josh Sinclair as its candidate. Mr Sinclair was campaign manager for Chris Brayne, who won the seat of Nepean in last year’s (24 November) state election. He was later appointed as Mr Brayne’s office manager. Mr Sinclair’s official endorsement by
Labor follows reports last month that Tracee Hutchison would be the party’s candidate. However, Ms Hutchison, a broadcaster and journalist, later said she would not be a candidate despite giving it serious consideration and being “flooded” with support and encouragement. Held for the Liberal Party by Greg Hunt since 2001, Flinders is also being contested by former Liberal and now independent, Julia Banks (“Hunt under pressure of coup fallout” The Times 6/2/19). Ms Banks, elected as a Liberal to
the seat of Chisholm in 2016, quit the party in the wake of the overthrow of Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister. The party’s MPs elected Scott Morrison as prime minister after an unsuccessful leadership attempt by Peter Dutton and Mr Hunt to become prime minister and deputy party leader. The state seat of Nepean won by Mr Brayne with Mr Sinclair as his campaign manager, had been held by Martin Dixon for the Liberals by 16 years. The Liberal candidate, Russell Joseph, blamed the turmoil following the overthrow of Mr Turnbull for much of the
party’s loss of support on the Mornington Peninsula.. Mr Joseph said the “Dutton-Hunt ticket” was “particularly felt down here [on the peninsula]”. He said it was a problem that he felt would linger and affect the outcome of the coming federal election. Giving further impetus to the Flinders campaign will be next week’s a “federal election launch” in Mornington by the left wing lobby group, GetUp. The organisation’s pre-launch publicity urges voters to “learn more about
Super store bid ‘months away’
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Frankston Times
12 March 2019
that strategy and the role you can play in your community to help knock off the hard right MPs who are wrecking our politics”. Mr Sinclair said on Friday that he did not know about GetUp’s impending involvement in Flinders. “I’m just relieved that [Labor] can start campaigning as from today,” he said. “I wanted to make sure we chose a local candidate with a strong local connection. “Thankfully, the administrative committee and local branches agreed [to my candidature].”
THE proposal by German-based Kaufland for a super store at Mornington remains up in the air despite the company being given the go ahead for stores at Dandenong, Chirnside Park and Epping. The state government was last week boasting about attracting “one of the world’s largest retailers to Victoria in a move that will create more than 1500 jobs and inject almost half a billion dollars into the state’s economy”. Mornington Peninsula Shire and a growing number of residents are objecting to Kaufland being allowed to build on the Bata shoe factory in Nepean Highway. Economic development minister Tim Pallas joined Kaufland Australia managing director Julia Kern on Friday (8 March) for the announcement at the site of the company’s Mickleham distribution centre. Kaufland, which has more than 1230 stores and 150,000 employees across Europe, is said to be investing $459 million and creating 1600 jobs in establishing its stores and headquarters in Victoria. Government spokesperson Crys Ja said a decision on the Mornington store – one of three that are the subject of an independent advisory committee planning process – “could still be months away”. The mayor Cr David Gill says a Kaufland store in Mornington would have “major implications” for the town. “The proposed location is on the border of the green wedge [zone] and will destroy the prominent entry gateway to Mornington,” he said. (“Public urged to oppose Kaufland bid” The News 22/1/19). “The establishment of such a major retail site on industrial land outside the Mornington activity centre could have a major impact on the retail economy within the Mornington village and result in vacant shops along Main Street. “Proper planning takes decades and one bad decision can ruin our strategy for shopping precincts overnight.” Oakbank Road resident Janet Street – who lives near the proposed site – said the development included a 430 vehicle car park and 4000 square metre retail outlet “which will directly compete with established retailers in the shopping precinct”. “A 20-metre sign will be the first thing people will see when driving into Mornington, the gateway to the Mornington Peninsula,” she said. Mr Pallas said planning approval for the first three stores was “a huge notch on Victoria’s belt”.