First past the post: Robert Eyton at Lara’s Kevin Hoffman Walk. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 55946
Andrew Mathieson
by andrew mathieson
AN ENGLISH “working bloke” who settled in Australia nine years ago believes he has more grassroots voter support in the region’s safest state seat than the incumbent Labor MP.
Liberal candidate Robert Eyton lives at Anakie and has been linked to five Lara community groups including stints as chairman of the town’s heritage festival and Lions club.
He will take on Member for Lara John Eren who is contesting his second election for the seat after relocating from Melbourne’s northern suburbs in 2002 to win the now-defunct upper house seat of Geelong Province.
Mr Eyton was confident he had the numbers for an upset.
“There’s a lot of community support for the fact that for so many years there hasn’t been someone who’s actually a local representing Lara, so now there’s almost a feeling of excitement and revitalisation,” he said.
“There’s a strong chance they’ll have a local representative.”
Mr Eyton refused to believe taking the seat was impossible despite Labor holding the seat with a margin of more than 18 per cent.
The electorate covers Lara, Corio, Norlane, Bell Post Hill, Little River, Anakie, Batesford and Wyndhamvale.
“I can categorically state that I am not just in this to be someone they (Liberal voters) can hang their votes on,” Mr Eyton said.
Mr Eyton, who arrived in Australia from Manchester when he was 50, said he was self-employed in home renovations.
He voluntareed to become the Liberal candidate.
“I wasn’t approached by someone. I actually put my hand up and said ‘Would you please consider me’,” he said.
Mr Eren was reported saying several weeks ago that Liberal leader Ted Ballieu “can’t even find a candidate” for Lara.
Mr Eyton described himself as a “good, old-fashioned English conservative” who was never a Liberal party member before his pre-selection.
“Being a part of the Liberal party and what I’m striving for now feels like coming home from home,” he said.
“I have a real affinity to those conservative Liberal values.”
