Peter Walsh won a sixth term in the Victorian parliament as he and his Victorian Nationals Party became a beacon on an otherwise dark state election night for the Victorian opposition.
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Mr Walsh, the returning Member for Murray Plains and Victorian Nationals Leader, was torn between celebrating his own success and contemplating the train wreck result for the state’s Liberal party.
A fist-pumping Dan Andrews led his Labor Government to a crushing win and third term in office at a state poll that had left the state coalition in tatters — senior political commentators suggesting the result could lead to a split between the Nationals and the Liberals.
Mr Walsh finished with 74 per cent of the vote, on a two-party preferred basis, in the Murray Plains electorate and will sit for a sixth term in the state parliament.
He introduced opposition leader Matthew Guy on Saturday night, not long after Mr Guy had phoned the Premier to congratulate him on the victory.
Labor went into the election with a 56-seat majority in the state’s 88-district lower house, compared to the Coalition’s 27 — made up of 21 Liberals and six Nationals.
The Coalition now has just 25 seats, but the state Nationals have increased their stake from six seats to nine after Saturday night’s count, leaving the Liberals with just 16.
Amos new Campaspe Mayor
Campaspe Shire Councillor Rob Amos has added to his impressive regime by being named the new Mayor of Campaspe Shire last week.
He takes over the role from Chrissy Weller, who spent the entire COVID-19 period in the mayor role after taking over from Adrian Weston in 2020.
Mr Amos is a financial planning expert who operates a mortgage broking business in Echuca.
The 52-year-old has lived in Echuca since 2015, with his wife of the past 25 years, Inger, and 17-year-old daughter Charlee, who is at Moama Anglican Grammar School.
His new local government role adds to his officer duties with Echuca Fire Brigade officer, which he has maintained since being voted onto council at the 2020 election.
The former Westpac banker, who was a 10-year member of the Australian Army Reserve, not only has a solid understanding of all things financial — he has a strong connection to the Indigenous community.
Preistly’s “big spend’’
Rob Priestly’s ferocious attempt to wrestle the Nicholls electorate from its Nationals stranglehold has come at a cost — a rather large one.
Financial details of the Federal Election were revealed by the Australian Electoral Commission, including details of a $702,286 spend by Mr Priestly’s campaign team on the May election.
It made his campaign the eighth most costly campaign at the 2022 Federal election.
Of the Priestly campaign spend there were $624,127 received in gifts or donations, from 185 sources.
And while the significant campaign cost will turn many heads, it paled against the costs of winning a federal seat for six of the “Teal Independents’’ — led by the Simon Holmes a Court-led Climate 200 organisation.
Monique Ryan had a $2.1 million cost attached to her campaign to beat former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, including $1.8 million in donations.
Former journalist Zoe Daniel spent $1.5 miilion to beat assistant minister Tim Wilson in the seat of Goldstein and in excess of $1.2 million was spent on two northern Sydney seats for victories.
Mr Priestly, on a two-party preferred basis, won 46.19 per cent of the vote as Nationals candidate Sam Birrell won the seat and followed in the footsteps of the electorate’s inaugural member Damien Drum.
In the initial count there was a 25 per cent swing against Mr Birrell and he polled only 600 more votes in the initial account than Mr Priestly (of the 95,191 eligible votes cast).
Jasmine’s street machine win
Elite and unconventional were the ingredients for Kyabram auto trimmer Jasmine Green to claim the title of 2022 Milwaukee Street Machine of the Year (SMOTY).
Her rebuilt 1991 Toyota Hilux became the first Japanese car (and the first mini-truck) to win the Street Machine magazine award — which had 20 finalists — and pocket the $20,000 cash prize.
She has spent 10 years, on a shoestring budget, putting together the Hilux and the award was recognition for an outstanding skillset, which had earned her recognition at Australia’s biggest car shows — Summer Nats and Motorex.
“Jazzy”, as she is known at her Shepparton workplace, was unaware she had won the title after Maskell’s Customs and Classics owner — and her boss — Greg Maskell, told her a “white lie” to keep the presentation a secret.
She arrived at work to find her parents, Chris and Julie Green, several friends and her workmates standing alongside Street Machine magazine journalist Simon Telford.
Record Cup Calcutta
Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend topped the bidding at the Kyabram Club’s Melbourne Cup Calcutta on Monday night, making the major contribution to a record pool in the club’s 60th year.
But it was the $1100 investment of the seven-member Weuss sydnicate, led by Shirley Kuhule and supported by Frank and Nola Findlay, John Ryan, Lorna McConnell, Barbara Wilson and John that picked up a record first prize — more than $28,000.
When auctioneer Brendan McConnell brought down the hammer on the last of the 23 runners — one runner, Lunar Flare, was scratched on Tuesday morning — there was $47,900 in the pool.
“This is my fourth or fifth year as the auctioneer and it still amazes me,“ Mr McConnell said.
The 2022 total was almost $10,000 more than last year’s tally, which in itself was a record for the club at the time.
Deauville Legend was bought for a record $5100, although that figure is halved when the 50 per cent drawer’s discount is applied under calcutta auction conditions.
The unfortunate owners of Lunar Flare were not as lucky. They did their $1450 cold under the no refunds policy of the calcutta.
Kyabram Club’s Melbourne Cup Calcutta is among the richest events of its type in the region, attracting syndicates from throughout the Goulburn and Campaspe regions on Cup eve.
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