MP’s anti-Andy letter

Alex de Vos
Corangamite MP Darren Cheeseman has undermined a Geelong councillor’s bid for federal parliament with a letter recommending his preselection opponent.
Darren Cheeseman’s letter also urged Calwell preselection voters to read an attached newspaper editorial criticising Cr Andy Richards for seeking higher office after seven months on council.
Cr Richards, whose ward stretches from Barwon Heads to Grovedale, will compete for the votes of Calwell branch members and party officials on Sunday and Monday.
The safe Labor seat covers an area of about 234 square kilometres from Campbellfield in the east to Diggers Rest in the west.
In the letter leaked to the Independent this week, Mr Cheeseman urged Labor members in the outer-Melbourne seat to back sitting MP Maria Vamvakinou.
Mr Cheeseman told members that he believed Ms Vamvakinou, who held Calwell for the three terms, “demonstrated commitment to the people of Calwell”.
“Her local knowledge and her achievements to date clearly make her the superior candidate,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“I encourage every ALP member in Calwell to support Maria in the local ballot on the 19th and 20th of this month.”
Mr Cheeseman wrote that he was “familiar” with Cr Richards, “the other candidate who has nominated for Calwell”.
“Andy is a councillor for City of Greater Geelong. You may be interested to read the attached editorial.”
Cr Richards refused to publicly criticise Mr Cheesman for undermining his preselection bid.
The letter was not a threat to his campaign, he said.
“Local ALP branch members are free to vote as they choose and that’s democracy,” Cr Richards said.
“It doesn’t really concern me.”
Cr Richards said he was “technically” in the same left-wing Labor faction as Mr Cheesman.
Cr Richards vowed to continue working for his council constituents regardless of the vote outcome.
He pledged to stay on as councillor until the middle of next year if he won the vote unless an early election was called.
A spokesman for Mr Cheeseman confirmed the MP had sent the letter.
He said Mr Cheeseman supported Ms Vamvakinou.
However, Mr Cheeseman would not publicly comment on the Calwell preselection because it was “an internal Labor party matter”, the spokesperson said.