The battle for parking spaces can test civility at the best of times but throw in career aspirations and the mix becomes positively volatile.
These ingredients flared earlier in the week at a local federal pre-polling station where a campaign team had commandeered the prime park outside for days on end.
Opponents grew frustrated at the extensively-signwritten vehicle commanding the best site for spruiking to arriving voters, so a minor-party candidate turned up early the next day to seize the advantage.
Upon discovering the cheeky interloper, the park-hog complained to electoral commission staff who then told the candidate to vacate the parking space.
This led to the candidate complaining further up the electoral commission chain, which confirmed that pre-polling site staff had no jurisdiction over car parks.
Finally it was established that the parking space was available on a first-come-first-served basis.
And these are the sort of people who want to run the country.
Meanwhile, state politics could also be in for a little local brouhaha itself following the return from holidays of ex-mayor Darryn Lyons.
The formerly mohawked one returned late last week full of social media venom for the Andrews Government which sacked him and the rest of the council in April over allegations of a bullying culture at City Hall.
The Lyons Twitter account was busy this week with posts condeming the Government for all sorts of alleged misdemeanours, ranging from the CFA debacle to inaction on advancing Geelong.
In particular, Lyons took aim at Labor Geelong MP Christine Couzens who seemed to get under the usually thick Lyons skin last year when she labelled him a “one-trick pony“ as mayor.
Was it all a message from the man who defied speculation that he would run for the federal seat of Corio? Is a state tilt on the cards in 2018?
As one campaign ends, another may just be beginning.
Veteran Geelong journo John Van Klaveren has filed his last story for the Indy.
The affable JVK (pictured) has pulled up stumps with lovely partner Maria for a major sea change to Tweed Heads where they’ve taken over the lease on a motel near the beach.
Indy staff shouted John a reluctant farewell lunch at Fishermen’s Pier, recalling some highlights of his career.
Among them, he exposed Geelong’s cash-for-councillors scandal, prompting an angry mover and shaker to melodramatically warn John of a “silver bullet around town” for him.
He also won a Victorian Country Press Association award for a series on the aftermath of serious-injury road accidents and more-recently revealed the failure of leadership on Geelong’s convention centre proposal.
His final story was on last week’s front page, reporting bipartisan federal commitments to remove red tape preventing Avalon Airport going international. John had exposed the obstacle just four weeks earlier.
His next chapter opens at the Tweed Central Motel later this month.
Good luck, JVK, and thanks for the memories.
