Monash candidate Deb Leonard is running, literally

IF THE election race has started in the Federal seat of Monash, there seems to be only one person running.

And that person is Voices for Monash candidate, Phillip Island’s Deb Leonard.

Which is fairly surprising really, only 11 weeks out from an expected election day of Saturday, May 21.

Between returning from meeting people in Moe, picking up the kids from school and delivering them to a ballet lesson in Cowes; she’s got just enough time to talk to the Sentinel-Times.

Ms Leonard, a well-regarded lawyer and one of Gippsland’s best courtroom exponents, has shelved the law books for the time being, and is engaged full-time in the campaign.

If she wins, and she’s realistic about her chances, she will down tools permanently and allow the capable staff at her law practice, Leonard and Associates Lawyers in Cowes, to continue on.

But there’s a determination in her approach which might challenge the stranglehold the two leading parties have traditionally had on the electorate here for decades.

In May 2019, the incumbent Russell Broadbent still managed 46.3% of the vote despite coming out against same-sex marriage in December 2017 and the ALP’s Jessica O’Donnell got 29.5% of the votes despite running a low-key campaign.

Baring a collapse in Mr Broadbent’s vote, as a reaction to his bizarre stance on COVID-19 treatments, he’s expected to get at least 40 per cent of the vote again, and with an anticipated swing to Labor, Ms O’Donnell will get her vote up above 30 per cent this time.

That means, there will be less than 30 per cent of the vote left to share between the independents and minor parties.

Ms O’Donnell has a chance of collecting enough support from the Greens (7%) and the other candidates, possibly including Ms Leonard if she loses, to take the seat this time.

But something seismic would have to happen to get Deb Leonard up to 30 per cent of the vote, with enough minor candidate preference support, to win the seat.

Going around, and around the electorate in recent weeks, however, she’s hearing a strong mood for change. And that’s encouraging.

“I am hearing from a lot of people that they are keen for a change,” Ms Leonard said this week.

“They’d like a representative who is locally focused and not from one of the major parties for a change.

“We’re trying to do what Cathy McGowan did in Indi, and give local people a voice in Parliament.”

Ms Leonard said many people were expressing distrust for politicians and the major parties, that they were self-absorbed rather than focused on representing the views of their community.

“I’ll be continually going back to the community to hear their views, to hear what they want and to represent them. It’s not about what I want,” she said.

“There’s a lack of trust out there and I’d support the establishment of an anti-corruption commission to overlook the operation of the Parliament and the activities of politicians."

Ms Leonard was selected by a community committee, Voices for Monash, which draws people from across the electorate; Phillip Island to Toora and across to Warragul and the Latrobe Valley.

The group called for candidates, it got down to two, Ms Leonard and 40-year coal industry worker, Tony Wolfe, who has since thrown his support behind Ms Leonard.

“As a small business operator myself, I’m all about supporting and encouraging small business as a key driver of the economy and a major employer and that includes the farmers,” Ms Leonard said.

As a Cape Woolamai resident and a lawyer working in the local courts, Deb is across the issues in Bass Coast and rates the lack of housing as a key local issue.

“The lack of affordable housing is a big one, not just socially, but also for small business operators trying to recruit staff who can’t find anywhere to live.”

Ms Leonard said the big issue that keeps coming up across in West Gippsland, and it’s principally a state issue, is the need for a new regional hospital at Warragul to serve a rapidly growing population.

“They’ve got the site, they should be able to get on with it and if there’s a role for the Federal Government, it needs to be a priority.”

In the Latrobe Valley part of the Monash electorate, the transition from coal is the big one.

“I believe action on climate change can be done in an effective and manageable way that’s good for jobs and good for the Latrobe Valley," Ms Leonard said.

“I’m aware that the people of the Valley have been told for years that lost jobs can be replaced by new industry but the challenge is there now to get on with it, to make the Latrobe Valley the powerhouse for the renewable energy industry. It makes sense, they already have the transmission infrastructure.”

Ms Leonard said the other important sector for the local economy was agriculture and while commodity prices were good at the moment, farmers wanted their work to be valued and supported with decent roads, better power supply and the infrastructure they needed to get their product to market and to live and work in often remote rural areas.

“There’s a lot to be done but what I’m hearing is that people want change. They want a good local voice, someone who will listen to them and represent their views in Parliament, not their own. Someone who can draw attention to the priorities here and shake things up a bit.”

If Ms Leonard does win, and she’s working hard up and down the electorate right now to get voters’ support from across the political divide, she’ll certainly do that.