The Victorian Socialists campaign for state office goes from strength to strength. The bid for seats in the Legislative Council has expanded from Steve Jolly’s campaign in the Northern Metropolitan Region to now include Tim Gooden in the Western Victoria Region.
The addition of Gooden to the Victorian Socialists’ cause represents the broadening and a deepening of the movement for socialist ideas. Gooden is a well-known and respected unionist, being a former Geelong Trades Hall secretary. His running mate is Geelong Trades Hall officer manager and unionist Nada Iskra.
Now, the Victorian Socialists have announced that they will also be running candidates in eleven Legislative Assembly seats in the Western Victoria Region.
The list of candidates includes: Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association organiser Sarah Hathway (seat of Geelong), meat-worker and Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union member Dean Cardigan (Lara), Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state executive member Jackie Kriz (Bellarine), Maritime Union of Australia member David Ball (South Barwon) and former Australian Workers Union delegate Ron Guy (Melton).
Also running for the Victorian Socialists in the Western Region area are: former Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) official Brendan Murphy (Polwarth), retired CFMMEU member Terry Riggs (South West Coast), Independent Education Union member Jane McKendrick (Buninyong), National Tertiary Education Union member Jeremy Smith (Wendouree), Australian Education Union member Bronwyn Jennings (Ripon) and Health Workers Union member Trevor Grenfell (Lowan).
Gooden introduced the candidates at a fundraiser for the Western Region campaign on October 27 at Geelong Trades Hall. The well attended and jovial event featured speeches from Jolly and Gooden.
Jolly later remarked on social media that the crowd was “very working class”.
Gooden explained that to be successful, the campaign required candidates in every Legislative Assembly seat to counter the confusing electoral rules and ballot papers that benefit the major parties.
Each of the candidates is well respected for supporting the cause of unionism and progressive change.
With less than a month to go until the state election, all hands are needed to elect socialist candidates to state parliament.
[To get in touch with Victorian Socialists Western Region campaign contact Sarah Hathway on 0438 673 333.]