EVERY vote will count in the battle for the region’s upper house seats with the final position likely to be decided on preferences.
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A huge field of candidates are contesting the Western Victoria ballot with the Labor and Liberal parties almost guaranteed to win two seats each in the five-seat contest.
The fifth position has been traditionally won by the minor parties with Vote1 Local Jobs, The Greens and the Shooters and Fishers Party likely to be the final three contenders, based on preference flows.
Vote1 Local Jobs leader James Purcell said he was one of the few candidates based in the south-west that was contesting the upper house.
“The main message I’ve been putting out there is that you can Vote1 Local Jobs in the upper house and still vote Liberal or Labor in the lower house,” the Port Fairy accountant said.
“Our party is about getting a voice for the south-west in the upper house that isn’t there at the moment. Most of the other candidates are from Geelong or Ballarat.”
Other south-west contenders include National Party MP David O’Brien, who has a farm in Penshurst; former Warrnambool mayor Jacinta Ermacora for the Labor party, Warrnambool businessman Cameron Hickey for Palmer United and Warrnambool nurse Jen Gamble for the Animal Justice Party.
Liberal MP Simon Ramsay and Labor MPs Gayle Tierney and Jaala Pulford are expected to easily return to the Legislative Council due to the upper house preferencing system.