By Luke Voogt
The state opposition has labelled Bellarine MP Lisa Neville a hypocrite after she criticised a colleague for moving from a marginal electorate.
“It is the height of hypocrisy that Lisa Neville would judge where her colleagues decide to run, when she doesn’t even live in her own seat,” said Nationals MP Emma Kealy.
But Ms Neville hit back saying she worked, studied and lived in Geelong and Bellarine for more than 25 years.
“In that time I have had the privilege of representing the Bellarine community, a marginal seat in which I have been honoured to be re-elected four times.”
The attack came after the Police Minister this week told a press conference she was not a “big fan” of MPs leaving marginal seats.
Ms Neville’s comments followed former Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett’s announcement that she would run for the Upper House rather than recontest her marginal Brunswick seat.
Ms Kealy described the comments as “a poorly disguised attack on” Ms Garrett, who resigned her ministry following the CFA dispute.
The opposition released a list of Labor MPs living outside their electorates, including Ms Neville, who lives six kilometres from the Bellarine.
“This is a government at war with itself, more interested in fighting each other than focusing its efforts on helping Victorians,” Ms Kealy.
“It’s disappointing that Lisa Neville would rather attack other women than tackle the violent crime tsunami plaguing our state.”
But crime was on the decrease, the Police Minister said.
“Through the work of Victoria Police in Geelong, Surf Coast and the Bellarine, we have seen the first decrease in crime in our region for 10 years.”
Ms Neville stuck by her comments from earlier in the week.
“I don’t shy away from that,” she said.
“I have a very strong view that elected representatives are accountable to their communities.”
“When you put your hand up to represent a community you owe it to them to continue to prioritise their needs over your own by seeking safer seats.”
Ms Garrett resigned as Emergency Services Minster after refusing to sign the State Government’s controversial enterprise bargaining agreement for firefighters earlier this year.
She won the seat of Brunswick marginally from her Greens rival Tim Read in the 2014 state election.
