​​​​​​​Who wants to have a beer with Russell?

VETERAN Monash MP Russell Broadbent won the 2022 election with a distributed vote of 57.51 per cent.

Although he suffered a swing of 8.19% away in his personal vote, scoring 37.79% of first preferences, his Labor opponent, Jessica O’Donnell also suffered a swing away from her, in a year where Labor swept the boards, mainly due to the efforts of Phillip Island lawyer and independent candidate Deb Leonard, who captured 10.72% first time around.

Broadbent’s share of the vote is a far cry from the 46.28% (2019) and 47.86% (2016) he achieved at recent elections but a clear win, nonetheless, on a day when few Liberal candidates could say the same.

So why is Mr Broadbent facing two, possibly more challengers, as the closing date for nominations for the Liberal Preselection in Monash approaches on Monday, June 19?

Mary Aldred, a respected professional who is head of government relations for Asia Pacific at Fujitsu and the daughter of former federal MP Ken Aldred, confirmed she would seek preselection for Monash when nominations close on Monday.

Graduating with a Master of Business Administration, from Federation University Gippsland in 2018, Mary has also completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), a Master of Agribusiness, and is a graduate of the Gippsland Community Leadership Program.

Beginning her career as an Advisor in public office, Mary worked for several companies within the energy industry before taking up the role of Executive Director for the Committee for Gippsland (C4G) from 2011 to 2013 before being appointed Chief Executive Officer from 2013 to 2018.

She has since moved back into the corporate world but her connections with this region are strong.

However, there’s another candidate.

It was confirmed by South Gippsland Mayor Cr Nathan Hersey, while attending the Australian Local Government Association annual conference in Canberra this week, that he will also be seeking preselection for Monash.

Although, due to Liberal Party guidelines for preselection, he told the Sentinel-Times he couldn’t formally comment on preselection.

So, it’s potentially a race in three or more for the plum seat of Monash, with the actual preselection battle to take place in October-November this year.

Although Mr Broadbent has declined to comment, it is understood that he has told party members that he intends to stand again.

But he may have had pre-selections and elections on his mind in Parliament this week, when he supported a condolence motion for the late great musician and multi-award-winning songwriter Joy McKean OAM, long-time collaborator and life partner of Slim Dusty.

“Thank you for the address of both members of the House (Tony Burke and Paul Fletcher),” Mr Broadbent began on Wednesday, June 14.

“There's always more to the story. How could this be that I haven't met Joy, nor have I met Slim Dusty, nor have I seen a show, as you have, but there is always more to the story,” he said, himself a "jumpsuit-wearing singer of show band The Trutones” back in the 1970s.

“There was a young Labor candidate named Duncan Kerr in Tasmania who was trying to find a way to make himself electable and different, so he could win this seat that was most difficult for him to win.

“So he decided to go to Slim Dusty and ask him if he could use one of their songs in his campaign. That song was 'I Love to Have a Beer with Duncan'. That became a part of his campaign.

“Duncan won that election because there were lots of people that decided they would like to have a beer with Duncan.”

So, would you love to have a beer with Russell, would you love to have a beer with Russ? You could drink at Castello's in Pakenham, where the atmosphere is great… oh who’d love to have a beer with Russell, cause Russell’s our mate?