By Parker McKenzie
Incumbent Bayswater MP Jackson Taylor defied a statewide swing against Labor and predictions of a close race to defeat former Ferntree Gully MP Nick Wakeling, increasing his party’s primary vote in an electorate that was notionally in favour of the Liberal Party.
The 30-year-old former police officer and Knox City councillor — who has embraced ‘Action Jackson’ as a moniker and is well-known for posing with his thumbs up in photos, even asking senior government ministers to join in — has won 42.2 per cent of the first preference vote at the time of print, an increase of 1.4 per cent compared to 2018. The Liberal vote collapsed in Bayswater with a double-digit swing against the party, sealing Mr Wakeling’s fate after his former seat was abolished ahead of the November 26 election.
Mr Taylor said it has been a privilege and an honour to represent the Bayswater district and he is extremely grateful to be returning to parliament.
“I put forward a strong campaign, I’m very grateful to my campaign team and my supporters who’ve done an amazing job. It’s not just about me,” he said.
“I want to acknowledge the former Liberal MP Nick Wakeling. He served in parliament for 16 years and ran a very decent campaign and I’m grateful to him for that, I want to make sure that his work for the community is acknowledged.”
Mr Talyor has defeated two sitting members of parliament with a combined experience of 28 years in two election campaigns, after entering state politics in 2018 at the expense of long-term Bayswater MP Heidi Victoria.
Mr Wakeling told the Star Mail he congratulates Mr Taylor on his victory.
“I thank those residents who supported me in the election and thank the countless residents and community groups I have had the honour of working with over the past 20 years as both a Councillor and Member of Parliament,” he said.
Mr Wakeling’s campaign, like the wider Liberal campaign during the election, focused on the perceived unpopularity of Premier Andrews, while he also attempted to win over environmentally-minded voters who traditionally wouldn’t have embraced the Liberal Party by signalling support for saving Lake Knox.
Late in the campaign, he also attempted to attack the Labor Party for the federal government’s decision to cut infrastructure projects in the Knox area. Mr Taylor’s campaign instead focused on what he had delivered for the Bayswater electorate during his first three years in parliament, including investment in local schools and infrastructure.
Mr Taylor said he is proud to be a part of a third term Andrews Labor government.
“We’re going to bring back the SEC, bringing back government-owned energy to drive down power bills,” he said.
“We’re also going to keep building and delivering the North East Link, delivering the Suburban Rail Loop and backing in our healthcare heroes every step of the way by recruiting and supporting 24,000 more healthcare workers.”
Bayswater has been held by the Liberal Party for 22 out of thirty years since it was created in 1992 and political commentators predicted a close race that could come down to a few hundred votes. Despite this, the result was called early on election night as Mr Taylor stormed to an unassailable lead.
Mr Taylor said he is proud to have run on a strong local agenda and “now the real work starts.”
“We will start construction on McMahons Road in Ferntree Gully next year, we are going to provide a massive $60 million upgrade to Boronia Station, creating the new heart of Boronia decking over the southern railway trench,” he said.
“We’re going to rebuild Maroondah Hospital from the ground up, we are going to expand the Angliss, we are going to upgrade local schools like Kent Park Primary, Bayswater South Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary School in Boronia and deliver needed upgrades to more sports pavilions.”
Minor parties and independents won 21.6 per cent of the vote in the electorate, with the Greens seeing an almost 2 per cent decline in first preferences compared to the 2018 election with 7 per cent of the vote, Legalise Cannabis Victoria’s Ashley Heap receiving 3.5 per cent, Family First Victoria’s Gary Coombes on 3.1 per cent, Freedom Party Victoria candidate Chris Field on 2.1 per cent, independent Chloe Mackallah on 21.1 per cent, Labour DLP’s Thomas Dolan on 2 per cent and Alyssa Wormald from the Animal Justice Party on 1.8 per cent at the time of print.
