THE Nationals’ Melina Bath and Labor’s Harriet Shing have both been returned as Members for Eastern Victoria Region.
The results were finalised by the Victorian Electoral Commission on Wednesday this week.
The pair are likely to face off in the Victorian Legislative Council, the Upper House, with Ms Shing already appointed as Minister for Equality, Regional Development and Water, and Ms Bath likely have some level of responsibility on the Coalition side.
But, as delighted as Ms Bath was with her re-election and the support she received, especially across Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, she expressed concern about the make-up of the Upper House.
“I’m delighted to be able to welcome a new Nationals’ member into the Upper House, Gaelle Broad, from the Northern Victoria Region. We have won that position back and the Liberals have added two seats as well.
“That’s 14 for the Coalition, up from 11 in the previous government and 15 for Labor, down three.
“With 40 seats in the Legislative Council, Labor will need an additional six votes, from the Greens and the Crossbenches to get their legislation through.”
Ms Bath said she had no doubt Labor would be able to rely on the Greens for most things but she fears a radicalisation in policy by Labor in order to secure the four votes from the Greens, including the support of Aiv Puglielli, Samantha Ratnam, Katherine Copsey and Sarah Mansfield.
“They’ll still need another two votes to get their legislation through but whether that comes from the two Legalise Cannabis Victoria members (Rachel Payne and David Ettershank), the Animal Justice Party (Georgie Purcell) or someone else only time will tell.”
Ms Bath conceded support for Labor is unlikely to come from new Democratic Labor Party member Adem Somyurek.
“There are 25 new members out of 40, which is a lot, some of it a symptom of the voting system we have here in Victoria,” she said, noting that some MPs had been elected with very small personal following.
“I think it’s been important for me to have that office in the Latrobe Valley, where I have been able to help, I hope, with a lot of issues over the past four years.
“Obviously, I have a good understanding of the issues in South Gippsland and Bass coast and there are a few things I want to take a particular interest in this time around, including the issues along the coast.
Ms Bath listed concerns about coastal erosion and land use in the Bass Coast area as well as the push for offshore turbines around the Gippsland coast.”
As well as Ms Shing and Ms Bath, who are both well-known in the electorate, the five Eastern Victoria Region Members are as follows: Melina Bath (Nationals), Tom McIntosh and Harriet Shing (Labor), Renee Heath (Liberal) and Jeff Bourman (Shooters Fishers and Farmers).