Rob Mitchell and partner Lisa Cartledge are all smiles as the results come in on Saturday night.
By Kath Gannaway
LAST time Labor candidate for McEwen Rob Mitchell looked, he was 9,500 votes in front of Cameron Caine, his Liberal opponent.
That was around 2pm on Monday, and he still wasn’t making any grand statements about being the member for McEwen.
With the 2007 election debacle where he lost the seat to sitting member Fran Bailey by just 31 votes, after initially being declared the winner, he says he is the only one he knows in Labor circles “putting a lid on it”.
He agrees 2007 had a profound effect on him.
“The scars are deep,” he laughs.
“I want to hear it from the AEC.”
While the Liberals have not officially admitted defeat in McEwen, their first-time candidate, Kinglake policeman Cameron Caine, was less precious about any chances he might have of a miracle turnaround – and that was on Sunday with even less of the votes counted.
He says he knew it was always a tough ask, particularly with Ms Bailey’s strong personal following, and him coming in virtually unknown, particularly in the growth areas of the electorate.
Mitchell is, along with the rest of the nation, waiting now to see whether he is part of an elected government, or a member of the Opposition.
He says it’s been shown Labor can work well in a minority government but is equally prepared to represent McEwen constituents in what he sees as “a worst case scenario”.
“If Tony Abbott gets in it will make it very difficult because we are so far apart on vital issues such as education and broadband,” he says.
“The Greens do understand about the importance of broadband and so do some of the independents, and you would like to think they would be wise enough on those issues to realise the importance for rural and regional areas and so it could give some leverage.”
It’s all speculation at this stage.
“Hopefully the independents will look and see that what we’re advocating for is better for their communities and give it a shot,” he adds.
“Whatever happens, I will be making sure I fight for what I believe in and what we (Labor) are supporting.”
Among the broad party policies, he says he has a couple of pet issues he aims to advocate for. “I want to look for national recognition and registration of paramedics who, if at the present time if they move interstate have to retrain, and also look at getting national gun registration … practical, commonsense stuff,” he says.
Greens candidate, Toolangi resident Steve Meacher, was happy with the three per cent rise from their 2007 vote.
“We got 11.85 and that’s not easy to do. It’s hard to shift people’s vote,” he says.
He says he has plenty of thoughts on what should happen next, in terms of forming a government, but no real clues.
He would not welcome another election, but says it’s too soon to be asking that question.
“We would have to wait and see, but hopefully it won’t be for another three years,” he said.
He doesn’t share Mr Mitchell’s doubts about who will be the member for McEwen and has no qualms about stating that it’s looking very much as if he was elected on Green preferences.
“On that basis he can expect me to be on the phone quite regularly,” he said.
