THE byelection for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Melbourne will be held on July 21. The election was triggered by the resignation on May 7 of Labor’s Bronwyn Pike. At the 2010 state election, Labor retained the seat on a 56.2 percent two-candidate preferred vote against the Greens and a 64.4 percent two-party preferred vote against the Liberals. The Liberals will not field a candidate at the byelection.
Melbourne Times Weekly has followed the progress extensively since Bronwyn Pike announced her decision to step down. Click on the links below for our coverage:
CANDIDATE QUESTIONS: Click here to see how each of the Melbourne candidates answered our 10 questions.
Kanis rated low on climate issues
Tunnel would increase traffic.
Bronwyn Pike reflects on a career with ‘no regrets’
Mayne offers blessing for curb on pokies
Brown in town as racers draw places
Stephen Mayne to run as free agent
Veteran campaigner Gerrit Hendrik Schorel-Hlavka has another crack
Candidates battle in public forum
Kanis speaks up for public tenants
Labor play for Sex Party favours pays off
In ballot order, the candidates are:
- Berhan Ahmed (Independent)
- Ashley Fenn (Family First Party)
- Gerrit Schorel-Hlavka (Independent)
- David Nolte (Independent)
- John Perkins (Independent - candidate for the unregistered Secular Party of Australia)
- Jennifer Kanis (Australian Labor Party)
- David Collyer (Independent - candidate for the unregistered Australian Democrats)
- Patrick O'Connor (Independent - candidate for the unregistered Socialist Equality Party)
- Michael Murphy (Democratic Labor Party)
- Joseph Toscano (Independent)
- Stephen Mayne (Independent)
- Kate Borland (Independent)
- Adrian Whitehead (Independent)
- Fiona Patten (Australian Sex Party)
- Cathy Oke (Australian Greens)
- Maria Bengtsson (Australian Christians)