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LEST WE FORGET
ALMOST 400 people gathered at Wangaratta’s Cenotaph for the traditional Remembrance Day service. A service coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Oxley Soldiers Memorial was also held. Pictured is the RSL’s Dr Warren Garrett laying a wreath. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling ■ See stories and photos on pages 4 and 5.
Sam Miranda says rain good for the vines Page 2
30mm of rain in 3hrs blocks major roads Page 3
15 locals named for Bushies squad Sport
TIM NUMBER 1
INCUMBENT Nationals MP Tim McCurdy has taken out top billing on the Ovens Valley district ballot paper after names were drawn via a Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) computer program on Friday. Voters will have a choice between seven candidates who nominated, with the order on the ballot including 1.Tim McCurdy (Nationals), 2. Mark Bugge (Freedom Party), 3. Anna Wise (Family First), 4. Zevele Leschen (Labor), 5. Aisha Slater (Animal Justice
Seven candidates nominate,, with incumbent claiming g top p on ballot draw BY STEVE KELLY skelly@ nemedia.com.au
Party), 6. Zoe Kromar (Greens), and 7. Julian Fidge (Liberal Democrats). There were only three out of the seven candidates who attended the ballot draw conducted by VEC Ovens Valley district manager Louise Byrne, including Ms Leschen, Dr Fidge and Mr McCurdy.
Dr Fidge is aiming for 10 per cent of the vote and he believes that his main competitors will be Tim McCurdy and the Freedom Party, and his first preference will go to the latter. “The main issues at this election are perennial including the rail, roads, the lack of water control, dams and hydroelectricity,” he said. “It demonstrates that our government is not concerned about rural
areas, and it proves that the government has no vision beyond urban Melbourne.” Dr Fidge also recognised that housing was an “emergency” and he said this has been brought about by a “complete lack of interest and care from the Andrews Labor Government”. “In Wangaratta the occupancy rate is around 100 per cent and it’s almost impossible to get rental accommodation,” he said. “It’s got to the stage that
in Wangaratta people were living on the river flats and forced to camp out and this is a poor reflection on the Andrews Government that Victorians can’t find a safe place to live.” Ms Leschen said she was happy with the number four spot on the ballot paper, however, she hadn’t yet confirmed who she would give her preferences to. “Part of the reason I chose to run at such a late stage was that I was really pleased with the policies
that Labor was coming out with and I wanted to spruik them more than they had been spruiked,” she said. “The housing crisis is a pressing issue at Bright and to some extent Myrtleford and it’s having a domino effect in raising prices all the way down the valley. “It’s an issue that I’ve been trying to address for a while and I’ve had conversations with the Labor policy committee groups about it.” ■ Continued page 3
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