Libs planning to move into the city

Hamish Heard
State Opposition leader Ted Baillieu is “investigating” moving one of the region’s two Upper House Liberal parliamentarians to an office in Geelong, according to Member for Western Victoria David Koch.
Mr Koch yesterday confirmed the party was eyeing a move to Geelong to challenge Labor’s dominance of state politics in the region.
Geelong has not had a resident state Liberal MP since Labor made a clean sweep of the region at the 2002 election, winning all local upper and lower house seats.
Labor continued its local dominance at November’s election when it brushed aside Liberal challengers to hold all its local seats.
Two Liberal MPs – John Vogels and Mr Koch – last year became eligible to set up shop in Geelong after the Bracks Government reformed Upper House boundaries before November’s state election.
A Liberal source said the party had earmarked Mr Koch to move from his Hamilton electoral office to Geelong on the condition state Parliament approved the shift.
Mr Koch refused to confirm whether he was set for the move but said the Liberals were keen to gain a footing in the region.
“All I can say is Ted (Baillieu) has recognised that it is well-worth considering deploying resources in Geelong and is investigating the opportunity accordingly,” Mr Koch said.
He claimed Geelong residents were “under represented” in Parliament due to Labor’s dominance.
“The Liberal party sees Geelong as critical to our own causes and we see that constituents Geelong don’t have the opportunity to raise their concerns and aspirations with anyone other than Government members.”
Mr Koch was recently named the Opposition’s Upper House Whip after moving from his former position as Shadow Racing Minister when Mr Baillieu reshuffled the Liberals’ shadow cabinet.
He was elected to the state Upper House in a 2002 by-election.
Mr Koch cited police resources, transport links, planning and local government among issues concerning residents of the Geelong region.
Labor Member for Geelong Ian Trezise described any Liberal move to Geelong as too little too late.
“I’d be surprised if it ever happened given that four years ago the Liberals said they would open an office in Geelong and that never eventuated – (we) saw the results of that at the last election,” Mr Trezise said.
“Even if David Koch did move to Geelong it would be a token effort, an afterthought and too late.”