MP, opponent stoush over local connections

Alex de Vos
A political stoush has erupted between Labor Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman and his new Liberal opponent days after she won pre-selection for the federal seat.
Former ABC journalist Sarah Henderson has accused Mr Cheeseman of having “no history and no connection with the electorate whatsoever” after he suggested she was from Sydney.
Ms Henderson told the Independent she had lived in Barwon Heads for “months”.
“I am not from Sydney,” Ms Henderson said.
“I have worked in Sydney and Melbourne but I went to school in Geelong, I have family in Geelong – my connections to the area run very deep.
“Darren Cheeseman was born in New Zealand and has lived in Ballarat – he has no connections.”
Ms Henderson, a lawyer and mother, is the daughter of former Geelong state MP Ann Henderson who died in 2002 from breast cancer.
Ms Henderson said she felt “honoured” to win Liberal preselection.
She was determined to win back Corangamite at the next election.
“I suggest to Darren Cheeseman to work a bit harder – it’s a very marginal seat,” Ms Henderson said.
Mr Cheeseman, who won the seat by 1500 votes at the 2007 federal election, said he was “very much in touch with the voters of Corangamite”.
“I’m a resident of Torquay and have been since about December, 2007,” he said.
“I think the fact that she [Ms Henderson] hasn’t lived in the seat for 20 years, or at least the last 10, clearly means she doesn’t have any great claims to being a local.
“I would say she’s more in touch with Sydney and other places.”
The Independent revealed last week that leading Geelong businessmen Frank Costa and Jim Cousins had backed Ms Henderson for Liberal party pre-selection in Corangamite.
The Liberals lost Corangamite in a 6.2 per cent swing against the party in 2007. Labor had not held the seat for 72 years.