A hoot of a time

I AM one of the hundreds of local citizens who volunteered to help on Deb Leonard’s campaign. It’s a pity she didn’t win but I’d like to tell everyone what a joy and a privilege it was to get involved. 

Since March I’ve put a corflute outside my house, done a lot of door-knocking, and spent hours handing out how-to-vote cards at the Wonthaggi pre-poll booth as well as on election day. Then I watched the votes being counted at the

San Remo booth on election night and spent the last two weeks at the AEC’s ginormous vote counting warehouse in Warragul, scrutinising the vote count and crunching the numbers. 

The more I did on the campaign, the more impressed I was with Deb Leonard and her team. Monash has missed out on an incredibly hard-working, passionate, dignified, energetic and smart woman to represent us. She would have been great. Hopefully, Mary Aldred has half Deb’s capabilities and doesn’t get chewed up and spat out by the Liberal Party.

I also realised that this electorate is full of lovely people – even those who clearly didn’t support Deb – who are all concerned about similar problems and are sick of feeling neglected by their Federal representative. Maybe too many dogs for my liking, but I didn’t encounter much negativity while out campaigning.

I don’t have much time for the policies of Pauline Hanson, but the chaps handing out the One Nation how-to-vote cards at the pre-poll were a hoot. Very friendly and entertaining.

You don’t need to be born and brought up in what now constitutes Monash to be an active participant in its body politic.

Everyone who lives here has a stake in the region’s future and Deb’s campaign showed that getting involved is really worthwhile – for personal well-being and the good of the broader community.

It’s been fun, energising and we very nearly succeeded in getting her elected.

Whoever stands as a community independent for Monash at the next election, even if it’s not Deb Leonard, will have a huge army of dedicated volunteers to help them on their way, me included!

Catherine Eldridge, Wonthaggi