By Parker McKenzie
Gareth Ward, the Victorian Liberal Party’s candidate for Monbulk, won’t be changing his plans after the announcement of current MP James Merlino’s retirement.
“I’m too focused on my campaign to worry about who I’m running against. As far as I’m concerned, the biggest competitor is all of the Labor Party,” he said.
“It doesn’t really matter who they put in that seat to replace James, from my point of view it’s the same fight, it’s the same message.”
The local business owner, whose landscaping business is based in Monbulk, soft-launched his campaign in June when opposition leader Matthew Guy announced support for a new SES unit in Olinda.
Mr Ward said his inspiration for entering politics — and recently joining the Liberal Party — grew during Melbourne’s lengthy lockdowns and the June 2021 storm weather event.
“With my business, we got fitted into a really strange category where people who worked in building and construction could still work, but if you’re a landscaper you couldn’t work. I was a little bit dismayed at that,” he said.
“Seeing the community band together, get things done and help each other out is what got me involved after the storms. I offered the services of my business and did some volunteer work with the machines and chainsaws to try and help clean up.
“ I looked more closely at the politics and how I can get involved to try and make some change.”
It’ll be the first time a Liberal candidate has faced a new Labor candidate since 2002 when the former deputy premier was elected to parliament for the first time.
Mr Ward said he would follow the approach of previous “pretty good campaigns” by the Liberal Party in Monbulk.
“We did very well in the primary votes, so I’m just going to hope to continue that good work,” he said.
“The health care system would be a big priority of mine because the condition that’s in at the moment is just devastating.
“I even heard from a resident who needed to get some support, they were having a heart attack and couldn’t even get phone reception to ring through.”
He also said telecommunications improvements, disaster preparedness and more community hubs were a priority of his to advocate for if elected in November.
On climate change, Mr Ward said the best approach would be a grassroots approach to addressing the issue at a small local level.
“Whether you’re a sceptic of climate change or not, if you just look after the environment and your community at a grassroots level it can only improve things and be a good thing for everybody.” he said.
The Labor candidate he faces in November will likely be chosen by the National Labor Party after Premier Daniel Andrews asked for the arrangement in the wake of a branch stacking scandal in 2021. A legal challenge to the arrangement by Victorian Labor members failed in March.
Mr Ward said he believes the biggest issue for the people of Monbulk is not having Mr Merlino available for the community as their representative.
“I can’t say I rate his work very highly,” Mr Ward said.
“I know he’s got a lot of supporters and a lot of people are happy with some of the things he’s done, but I can’t overlook the things he hasn’t done.”
The Victorian State election will be held on 26 November.
