Long road ahead for Cicchiello

By Callan Date
THE Federal seat of Holt is named after former Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.
And if you believe bookmakers, the Liberal party has as much chance of winning the marginal seat as Mr Holt has of returning from his ill-fated swim.
But the long odds of $7 will not stop Liberal candidate Emanuele Cicchiello from doing his best to unseat ALP member Anthony Byrne.
The former City of Knox mayor said he knew he was facing a tough challenge but would be doing everything he could to provide the people of Holt with an alternative voice.
Mr Byrne will make an attempt at his third term in Parliament after first being elected in the 1999 by-election.
He currently holds the seat, which has been in ALP hands since 1980, by a slender 1.6 per cent, or about 1500 votes.
“Here in the electorate of Holt our families are under enormous pressure from skyrocketing housing costs and rising petrol, childcare and food prices,” Mr Byrne said.
“We need new leadership and fresh ideas to tackle the challenges facing our community.
“If Labor wins the election, we will implement practical policies that make a real difference to cost of living pressures,” said the $1.05 favourite.
Covering the suburbs of Endeavour Hills, Doveton, Eumemmerring and parts of Narre Warren, Berwick, Hallam, Hampton Park and Cranbourne, the electorate stretches over almost 150 square kilometres.
Mr Cicchiello will be pounding the pavement in those areas in an attempt to drum up all the support he can.
“I am definitely looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
“I will be moving around the electorate and meeting locals and talking about the issues.
“It is always going to be a challenge facing the incumbent, but I will be giving it my best shot,” Mr Cicchiello said.
Mr Cicchiello said he would make several issues a priority including:
– A new post office in Lynbrook;
– Campaigning for more funding for the Cranbourne Aquatic and Leisure Centre; and
– Working with the community to resolve the Lyndhurst toxic waste dump.
Voters will head to the polls to decide who takes hold of Holt on 24 November.