By Parker McKenzie
Several locals to the Dandenong Ranges and Knox area have nominated for the Upper House in the upcoming state election from a wide variety of parties. You may have heard of some of them before, with an array of previous political campaigns under their belts.
Judith Thompson is running for the upper house in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region as the lead candidate for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party. Hailing from Bayswater North, she previously ran as the party’s candidate in the seat of Deakin in the 2022 federal election, winning 1.1 per cent of the vote.
Nina Van Strijp from Belgrave South is second on the Family First ticket in the North-Eastern metropolitan region.
The North-Eastern Metropolitan Region covers Bayswater, Croydon and Ferntree Gully. Since 2020, the region has been represented by Shaun Leane and Sonja Terpstra from the Labor Party, Rod Barton from the Transport Matters Party and Matthew Bach from the Liberal Party.
Mother and daughter duo Lynda and Jessica Wheelock, from Kallista, have nominated for the Greens in the Eastern Victoria Region. They are positioned fourth and third on the party’s ticket respectively.
Jessica Wheelock said she decided to run because there is so much important work to be done to get Victoria out of coal and gas, make housing affordable for everyone and protect “our beautiful native forests.”
“Greens lead candidate Mat Morgan would be a powerful voice for change in State Parliament,” she said.
“I’ve put my hand up as an upper house candidate to support his campaign and let Victorian voters know their vote is powerful.”
It isn’t either’s first political campaign, with Jessica Wheelock, who has been the Victorians Greens communications director since June 2020, previously running as the Greens candidate for Holt in the 2019 federal election and Linda Wheelock running in the 2022 federal election as the Greens candidate for Hawke.
“My mum always instilled a sense of social justice and a love of our natural environment in me,” Jessica Wheelock said.
“When I talked about running as a support candidate for Mat Morgan, she was also inspired to help.”
Jennifer McAdam from Selby is running as the 2nd candidate on the Animal Justice Party ticket for Eastern Victoria, the same position she ran in during the 2018 state election. A teacher and “proud vegan mother,” Ms McAdam previously ran as a candidate for the AJP in the 2014 state election in the seat of Monbulk where she won 2.9 per cent of the vote and the 2016 federal election in the McMillan electorate, where she won 2.99 per cent of the vote.
The Eastern Victoria Region covers a huge swath of area from the Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland to Mt Evelyn and the Dandenong Ranges. In 2022, the region was represented by Hariet Shing and Tom McIntosh from the Labor Party, Jeff Bourman from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers, Cathrine Burnett-Wake from the Liberal Party and Melina Bath from the Nationals.
Ms Thompson, Ms Van Strijp and Ms McAdam were contacted for comment. If a response is received, this story will be updated.
