MEDIA RELEASE: DLP chooses candidate for Western Victoria in 2006

A barrister-turned-secondary-school-teacher will be the Democratic Labor Party's candidate in Western Victoria for the state elections in 2006.

John Mulholland, Secretary of the DLP, said he believed the party had a good chance of winning at least one of the Upper House seats in the Victorian Parliament in the 2006 elections.

"Peter Kavanagh has been preselected as the candidate for Western Victoria in the 2006 state elections. Peter is the DLP's spokesperson on rural and regional affairs. He's a tremendous candidate and I think he has a very good chance of winning a seat in the Upper House in 2006," Mr Mulholland said.

The Upper House electorate of Western Victoria stretches from the outer Melbourne suburbs of Melton and parts of Werribee and Lara to the South Australian border. It includes the cities and towns of the Bellarine Peninsula, Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool, Portland, Colac, Horsham, Hamilton, Ararat, Avoca and Port Fairy.

"If you live in this part of Victoria you will have the opportunity to vote for Peter Kavanagh at next year’s state election," Mr Mulholland said.

"Upper House elections in Victoria will be conducted under a system of proportional representation for the first time. Candidates will be required to obtain one sixth of the vote--with no preferences--to win, or, with preferences, a candidate may win a seat with fewer, perhaps far fewer, votes."

"At the last Senate election the DLP outvoted the Australian Democrats and Family First--which won a seat on preferences. The DLP accomplished this with almost no money and no publicity."

"In the Upper House elections in 2006, winning a seat is a realistic possibility. Voters should remember that under our preferential system of voting they do not 'waste' their vote even if the candidate who gets your first preference does not win," Mr Mulholland said.

Peter Kavanagh is a secondary school teacher of languages, and has worked as a barrister and university lecturer.

FOR COMMENT CONTACT PETER KAVANAGH ON TELEPHONE m. 0413 847 413