By DAIVD BRAITHWAITE

 

KNOWING who will be filling the five spots to represent the Eastern Victoria region in Victoria’s upper house at the end of the year has been become less clear.

The ABC last week reported that there had been a “handshake” deal for Labor Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh to switch places with current minister Enver Erdogan at November’s election.

Mr McIntosh was set to occupy the top spot on the Labor ticket for Eastern Victoria, meaning re-election was all-but certain.

Mr Erdogan, who currently holds ministries for finance, government services, and casino, gaming and liquour regulation, currently has the second place on the party’s ticket for the Northern Metropolitan region.

Polls are pointing to Labor, which currently has 15 seats in the 40-member Legislative Council, losing up to half its representation at the November election.With candidates listed second on Labor tickets considered vulnerable, the party will want to ensure MPs who hold ministries, like Mr Erdogan, remain in parliament. This has led to a reported deal for Mr Erdogan to switch to the “safer” top spot in Eastern Victoria, with Mr McIntosh taking the second position in Northern Metropolitan, in which Labor is hopeful of retaining two MPs.

According to the ABC, this deal to boost Mr Erdogan’s chances of staying in parliament has angered Labor party members in Gippsland, who have petitioned to keep McIntosh in Eastern Victoria.

Labor candidate for the lower house seat of Gippsland East, Sonny Stephens, launched the petition, which was signed by 300 members before being presented to the party’s national executive last week.

Ms Stephens told the ABC Mr McIntoch was hard-working and a “stunningly good politician”. She said members were frustrated with “a process that doesn’t appear to reward effort”.

It was reported pre-selections for positions currently held by Labor would be decided by the party’s national executive on October 21, with the remaining seats determined a week later – only days before the government enters “caretaker period” on November 3.

The make-up of the Labor ticket for Eastern Victoria was already set to change follow former minister Harriet Shing’s decision to retire from politics at the election.

Polls suggested One Nation was in a good position to claim one of the five spots in Eastern Victoria. Who that potential MP will be is now unknown following the withdrawal of top candidate Greg Hansford.

The Liberals’ Renee Heath and Nationals’ Melina Bath are favoured to retain their positions, while the chances of re-election for Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman were hit by the abolishment of group voting tickets (GVT) for this election.

GVT saw candidates, who received very few primary votes, being elected via a complicated flow of preferences.