Election set for wild time

By Tania Martin
WEEDS will again be a top issue in the La Trobe electorate as the fight to the August 21 Federal Election heats up.
Sitting La Trobe MP Jason Wood has a battle on his hands with just a 0.05 per cent margin in his seat.
But he has accused Labor of bringing in outsiders to attempt to knock him off his perch.
Mr Wood has lived in the hills for more than 40 years, and believes the ALP continues to show little interest in La Trobe.
“This is the third election in a row they have brought someone in from town who has no idea about the local area,” he said.
“I know about the needs of the local community which is something on my side.”
The Labor candidate for La Trobe Laura Smyth has lived in Ferntree Gully since last year.
Mr Wood said the biggest issue would again be weeds, which was a key issue in the 2007 polls.
He said hills residents had been let down by a Rudd-Gillard government on weed management and reduction.
Mr Wood said mental health would be number one on the Coalition’s agenda.
He will also be campaigning for further cash to support Emerald’s palliative care unit, Fernlea House.
“I will fight for my local area,” he said.
His opponent Laura Smyth will focus on three key issues affecting people right across the country including health, education and infrastructure.
Ms Smyth said there were a lot of families in the electorate moving into the area where there was a serious shortage of doctors and nurses. She said there would be a number of other issues raised over the course of the five-week campaign.
Ms Smyth said this would include concentrating on the need for trade centres across the electorate.
Greens candidate Jim Reiher will also keep the two major parties on their toes.
In the neighbouring electorate of Casey sitting MP Tony Smith faces a comfortable 5.9 per cent margin.
Going into his fourth election campaign, Mr Smith will be supporting practical, tangible and responsible policies which would see a reduction in the country’s debt levels.
He said this was desperately needed if the government was to ease the pressure on interest rates and the cost-of-living burden on families.
“Our local community cannot afford another three years of Labor’s waste, mismanagement, higher taxes, higher debt and policy disasters,” Mr Smith said.
His opponent Sami Hisheh, a former journalist, said he wanted to provide a strong voice for the people of Casey.
He will campaign for improved infrastructure in schools, at hospitals and on local roads.
Mr Hisheh said he would also work to secure economic opportunities and jobs for people in the local community.