Victorian Labor is already running its campaign for Treasurer Tim Pallas’ seat of Werribee, a sign that the party fears losing this safe seat in November’s state elections.
The seat of Werribee was created at the 2014 election as a result of changes to electoral boundaries in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs
Labor and Liberal internal polling show a growing dissatisfaction towards the major parties and Premier Daniel Andrews. This is after two years of COVID-19 locksdowns, vaccine mandates, and restrictions. These were in the city’s working class outer suburbs where people were more vulnerable to the pandemic
To offset potential losses in the inner city, the federal Liberal Party relied on the anti-Andrews sentiment from Melbourne’s suburbs, including Werribee. However, it failed to win any seats from Labor.
The Liberals lost Chisholm, and were close to losing Menzies. However, the outcome in Deakin is still unknown. Labor’s advantage grew in Corangamite, Dunkley, where they tried to portray Anthony Albanese’s puppet as Andrews’ puppet.
The party headquarters sent out campaign materials in addition to Pallas electorate office communications budget. This was done to promote the treasurer as a local member and to inform constituents about the Andrews government’s funding of local projects.
Labor source said that it was unusual for campaign material to be sent A out six months before the state election in a safe district. It was a sign of Labor’s fear that Werribee would be lost in November, they said.
Voters in Lalor turned off the major parties
Federal polling booths are all in state Treasurer Tim Pallas’ seat of Werribee
2cp | Joanne Ryan’s primary | Ravi Gaddipati’s primary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galvin Park | -2.88% | -7.49% | -0.05% |
| Glendale Aged care | 0.16% | -5.51% | 4.86% |
| Glenorden | -2.95% | -13.31% | -3.86% |
| Iramoo | 1.27% | -6.89% | -6.52% |
| Little River | 2.80% | -5.77% | -7.31% |
| Manor Lakes | -6.61% | -16.23% | 0.78% |
| Manorvale | -1.26% | -9.72% | -5.62% |
| Thomas Chirnside | 2.55% | -3.91% | -6.57% |
| Werribee | -6.64% | -16.92% | -2.22% |
| Werribee Central | -0.53% | -6.98% | -4.49% |
| Werribee East | 1.14% | -8.32% | -8.06% |
| Werribee PPVC | 3.64% | -3.52% | -7.64% |
| Werribee South | 1.33% | -6.22% | -9.49% |
| Westgrove | 0.60% | -9.81% | -2.73% |
| Wyndham South | 6.26% | -1.13% | -7.26% |
| Wyndham Vale | -10.18% | -17.65% | 3.9% |
| Wyndham Vale South | -3.21% | -10.31% | -2.29% |
2cp = two candidate preferred results after preferences are distributed – Data- The Age
After suffering an 11% swing to his primary during the last election, Pallas now holds the seat with a margin of 11.6%. Independent Joe Garra (a local GP) won 20 percent of the votes, which is a significant primary for an independent.
The Labor source said the rise of independents gives enormous weight to change MPs this November.
“Voters still haven’t forgotten about the prison and the toxic soil that were dumped on them at the last election.” said the source.
Labor is particularly worried about independents similar to Dai Le, a former mayor in Sydney’s western suburbs who defeated high-profile candidate Kristina Keneally. Keneally was parachuted from the affluent Northern Beaches to the economically depressed and safe Labor seat of Fowler.
Labor is especially concerned about independents like Dai Le who was a former mayor of Sydney’s west suburbs and defeated the high-profile candidate Kristina Keally.
Keneally was parachuted to Fowler, an economically stable and safe Labor seat from the wealthy Northern Beaches.
“Jobs, access to healthcare and an MP living locally were at the top of Werribee voters’ minds for the upcoming state election,” said the labour source
They said that Labor’s November performance will be hampered by the inaction on the East Werribee Employment Precinct, CSIRO’s decision to relocate its food innovation facility from Werribee into Melbourne’s north, and Pallas’s move to Williamstown. Although no high-profile candidate has yet to announce their candidacy for the position, several names have been privately discussed.
“Being the local member for Werribee was a privilege and I had never taken it for granted,” said Pallas
