By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG voters have a choice of seven candidates in each of the region’s two federal electorates at the 7 September election.
The large field in each seat means preferences will play a significant part in the outcome, with national polling placing the two major parties neck and neck.
While Labor’s Richard Marles holds Corio with a margin of 13.5 per cent, he contended with four other challengers at the last election.
Mr Marles, who newly restored Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promoted to Minister for Trade, won with 51.5 per cent of the vote in 2010.
This year the field includes independent Stephanie Asher, who finished second to Keith Fagg in Geelong’s mayoral election last year.
The Liberal Party’s candidate this election is soldier Peter Read, who served in Afghanistan, East Timor and Iraq in a 30-year military career.
The lieutenant colonel has taken extended leave from the army to fight the election.
Mr Read will hope for preferences from new entrant and Palmer United Australia party candidate Tony Harrington, a 33-year veteran of the property and finance industry and a published author.
Greens candidate Greg Lacey will seek to improve his party’s showing last election with 12.5 per cent of the vote, although most of his preferences are set to flow to the ALP.
Perennial Socialist Alliance candidate Sue Bull and Australian Christian Party’s Patrick Atherton round out the field.
Corio includes the central business district of Geelong, all suburbs north of the Barwon River and the Bellarine Peninsula north of the Bellarine Highway, including Clifton Springs, Portarlington and St Leonards.
Corangamite is thrown up as a microcosm of the election because Labor’s Darren Cheeseman holds it by Australia’s slimmest margin, 0.3 per cent.
Liberal candidate Sarah Henderson will have her second crack at the seat after gaining 45 per cent of the vote in 2010 but losing on preferences.
Preferences will again play a key role, with the Greens fielding former Queenscliff councillor Lloyd Davies, a water engineer consultant.
However, the green vote could be split, with independent Adrian Whitehead fronting for the Save the Planet party but running as an independent.
Palmer United Australia party candidate Buddy Rojek injects further volatility into the fall of preferences.
Prolific letter-to-the-editor writer Alan Barron represents the Australian Christian Party, with Australian Sex Party’s Jayden Millard completing the field.
A mixed electorate, Corangamite covers southern Bellarine, the growing Surf Coast area, the southern suburbs of Geelong and as well as Colac.
