By Shelby Brooks
A first time candidate has been announced to run as the ALP’s 2022 federal election candidate for the seat of La Trobe, which includes Gembrook and Cockatoo.
Abhimanyu (Abi) Kumar has run a small construction business for many years but is now turning his attention to politics, stating he wasn’t satisfied with the current leadership in La Trobe.
“I think the current government that we have, the current member he demonises too many people and puts people against each other,” he said.
“That’s not the message we want to bring across.”
Mr Kumar said he wanted to run for the seat of La Trobe because he could relate to the people who lived in the area.
“I have a young family, I can connect with a lot of people, I run a small business,” he said.
“La Trobe is a seat that has the most small business owners here.
“I can connect with the people here and understand the pressures of young families and I want to change it for the better.”
Mr Kumar has been a Labor member for seven years and worked on various campaigns.
“My father was a union leader, I’m a union member,” he said.
Mr Kumar, along with Ballarat MP and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Catherine King, visited Pakenham on Thursday 27 January to promise $736,000 in funding for the Officer Tennis Club and Toomuc Reserve pavilion should Labor win the election.
“Social infrastructure is big for the Labor party,” Mr Kumar said.
“We want to bring the sporting facilities, whether it be the tennis club or the pavilion here to be improved and to the used by the local community all year around.
“If we end up winning this seat we will be bringing more announcements as well.”
