Our greatest danger is that the seat will change, but only from one of the coalition parties to the other, meaning it will again be penciled in as an easy retain. We desperately need a real change in our representation, a change to independent representation.

We have a Melbourne Cup field to choose from, some are credible.  We do not need another party hack who will serve out time putting their party first. We need a member who will put the South West Coast first and that simply won't happen if we elect another party candidate. But we will, and Forest Gump, all those years ago, summed up why with his quote "Stupid is as stupid does".

Gary Sayer, Warrnambool

Again one of the big banks, namely Westpac, take additional money from customers through an increase in mortgage rates.

Banks blatantly bite the very hands that feed them and have been at it for years even when they are already making disgustingly huge profits. They are so cold hearted when it comes to boosting those huge profits.

Many young couples starting out in life are trying to achieve the Australian dream by working hard to secure their first home which becomes their first major joint investment. They are preparing the family home they will bring their children.

Along comes the bank and at the stroke of a pen their already stretched budgets are stretched to breaking point and beyond. In many cases this will lead to loss of home and breakdown of relationships. The dream has ended before it has begun. The banks foreclose on those who cannot meet mortgage repayments and take over ownership of the many houses they have accumulated at a fraction of what they are worth before selling them off again starting the whole process of liquidation and resale for profit.

Then the banks have to look more attractive to the borrower again and so they get out that magical pen again which reduces the interest rates drawing more people into the bank rates game. It makes you wonder how they can sleep at night.

The banks are not about customers any more and seem to be concerned about how much money they can make.

In my opinion the only way to change this behaviour by the banks is to shop around. You may want to use the services of an independent financial advisor and don't take your repayments to the maximum you can afford. I say Westpac and the other banks need to be put on notice that people with mortgages are the very pillars of their establishment. If you keep attacking them for more and more, the establishment itself will eventually weaken and collapse.

David MacPhail, Warrnambool

I wish to respond to Mayor Chris O'Connor’s comments (The Standard, October 14) and confirm that as National Party Candidate for Polwarth, if elected, I will make fixing Foxhow and Ayresford Roads and planning for the duplication and/or upgrades to the Princes Highway, including Mayor O'Connor's 2/1 idea, my number one priority as the Member for Polwarth.

Contrary to what is reported this is putting (taxpayer) money where my mouth is. Regrettably Labor is in government and given it has not bothered to field a candidate at the by-election, I cannot put the money on the table until Labor agree or government changes. No candidate can. I too have called for Labor to return the important Country Roads and Bridges program which they inexplicably cut and I will hound them on these roads if elected.

If I give my commitment to make it my number one priority that is what I will do.

Putting dollar figures on projects is something I believe should not be done in the interests of keeping road construction costs down. I have estimates for construction of Foxhow and Ayresford but one problem that governments make is telegraphing the tendering costs by announcing dollars before tenders are in. I am comfortable the most dangerous portions can be reconstructed (about 7km on Foxhow and about 2km on Ayresford) as election commitments if Labor don't fund them before 2018.

I also believe the first priority for the Princes Highway is to plan upgrades to Warrnambool which is also initially a state decision (with significant council involvement). This is a by-election. No candidate can pay for the roads on their own, only governments can. As a candidate I have a track record of delivery in parliament and experience in road planning and acquisitions as a major part of my job. I will keep my promise to make this issue my number one priority if elected.

David O'Brien, Nationals candidate for Polwarth

Well woopy do, councillors would have us believe they are doing us a favour by using their own personal funds. (The Standard, October 16). I guess it's par for course that extravagant spending by politicians, councillors etc can be justified with meaningless explanations and self indulgent thoughts of how considerate the councillors think they are in using their own money. The reality is the ordinary person always has to cover their own costs for everything. Being a councillor does not excuse spending for the sake of spending, just because the money is there. Your right Cr Hulin, governance needs to have a better handle on it, so start with Warrnambool City Council and start handling the spending, with consideration and appropriateness. Your self praising for your financial sacrificing is insulting.

Vicki Walter, Warrnambool

After weeks of nothing, the Liberals and Nationals have finally come out to play.

However, I can’t see any difference between their commitments. A vote for Roma Britnell is a vote for Michael Neoh and vice versa. 

How will they deliver on their promises, given that they go straight to the opposition backbench to warm a seat for three years? Our region got precious little – no real investment in our roads; no extra train service – even when our local member was Premier. If the Coalition wouldn’t deliver then, what can Roma or Michael honestly hope to deliver? They’re either kidding themselves or conning us.

The same question applies to me. I have made some big commitments so far, including a stadium-style upgrade of the Friendly Societies’ Park and comprehensive regional 30-50 year plans for major investment in our rail services roads, with more to come. As an independent in the lower house, how can I possibly deliver any of that?

It’s simple. If I win, it will be by a small margin, but the seat will have been wrested from the Liberal/National grasp. In 2018, all three major parties will have to fight to win the seat back. 

My only promise is to work with you – the community, business, local government – to set an agenda that the major parties will then have to respond to in 2018 and, for the Labor Government, leading up to 2018. We will be in control.

Anything that is promised by any candidate in this by-election only becomes possible if, like Geelong and Ballarat, we make this a marginal seat. Now is the time. Our region’s future depends on it, and on your voting choices.

If we want things to change, we need to change the way we vote. What have we got to lose? We need to make wise choices in this election. Take a chance on me. I’ll deliver.

Roy Reekie, independent candidate for South West Coast, Warrnambool.

For many years, I worked as a political reporter covering the movements of Victorian politicians. Some would say what a terrible job, but it gave me an amazing insight into the way the political process works and who are the real winners and losers.

In our system of democracy, the real winners are the people living in marginal seats.

Following around people like Joan Kirner, Jeff Kennett and Steve Bracks, it became very clear that people in marginal seats are held in much higher regard by our politicians than people living in safe Liberal, Labor and National seats.

People in Liberal seats like South West Coast and Polwarth, or Labor seats like Thomastown and Dandenong get so much less than people living in Bendigo, Ballarat or Melbourne’s bayside. And it’s wrong!

The problem is politicians of all persuasions woo those in marginal seats. They go the extra mile to achieve funding for schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure.

You only have to drive on some of the roads in south-west Victoria to see the state of roads.

The Glenelg Highway between Hamilton and Portland is one of the worst roads I have travelled on, yet there is only little bits of money allocated to fix it.

Do you think the same road to Ballarat or Geelong or Bendigo would be left in such an appalling state?

Politicians effectively give people in marginal seats a ridiculous unfair advantage.

This isn’t to say that retiring MPs Denis Napthine and Terry Mulder didn’t care about their constituents.

I know both men and I know they worked hard and were passionate about their communities.

But when either Labor or the Coalition have to rely on 10 or so marginal seats around Melbourne’s Bayside and provincial Victoria to win office, the political strategists often forget places like Polwarth and South West Coast.

If people living in Polwarth and South West Coast are really serious about getting a fair share, you need to give the major parties a fright.

Only then will you get the services and infrastructure you deserve.

Craig Wilson, Beaufort