By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
THE ALP’s Luke Donnellan has comfortably retained the seat of Narre Warren North as his party seized a resounding election triumph on Saturday.
However, it comes amid Liberal Party claims that their Narre Warren North candidate Amanda Stapledon was “aggressively targeted” and “bullied” by Labor-aligned backers at a pre-polling station in Endeavour Hills last Friday, at least one of which Stapledon said appeared to be from the United Firefighters Union (UFU).
Ms Stapledon said she was blocked from meeting voters at the pre-polling station at Mossgiel Park Preschool by several men, some of whom allegedly also spoke offensively about her appearance.
“It’s when the derogatory statements were made when they were standing behind my back that I felt really uncomfortable,” Ms Stapledon said.
“Just because it’s an election, it doesn’t give them the right to behave that way.”
After the incident, Liberal campaign director Damien Mantach slammed the alleged bullying, calling on Victoria’s new premier to pull Labor’s “union cronies into line”.
“On the penultimate day of the campaign, we have witnessed what Victoria would look like under an Andrews Union state,” he said.
“Liberal candidate for Narre Warren North Amanda Stapledon was aggressively targeted, bullied and intimidated by the UFU.”
But UFU national secretary Peter Marshall told The Age the claims of harassment by union members were a “complete fabrication”.
“In fact there’s been a deliberate and concerted effort to provoke firefighters by [the] Liberal candidate and supporters,“ Mr Marshall said.
“Firefighters have been extremely disciplined in response to what is clear provocation.”
Mr Donnellan, who has held Narre Warren North since the seat’s introduction in 2002, also strongly denied the bullying allegations on Sunday, labelling them “absolute dribble”.
Last month, The Australian reported that Ms Stapledon and fellow Casey councillor and Liberal candidate Geoff Ablett were under investigation by the State Ombudsman as part of a probe into donations and council planning decisions. Both councillors have denied the claims.
“I think the community know me and have known me for many years and saw me as a hardworking candidate, someone who genuinely cares for the community,” Ms Stapledon said following Saturday’s result.
As Shadow Minister for Roads in Opposition, Mr Donnellan said he was hopeful of having a senior role for the new government which “could very possibly be roads”.
But he said there was no guarantee he would receive the portfolio, which would include Labor’s controversial decision to rip up the Coalition’s East West Link contract.
The Liberal Party has previously warned taxpayers could be liable for more than $1 billion in compensation payments if the contracts were ripped up.
Mr Donnellan re-iterated Labor’s commitment to not proceed with the East West Link but played down the financial risk to taxpayers.
“I think that’s all exaggerated scare tactics,” he said.
Meanwhile, it was business as usual for Labor in Dandenong, as they claimed the seat again by a healthy margin.
The ALP’s Gabrielle Williams, who will replace retired Dandenong incumbent John Pandazopoulos, said her party “would not waste a day” tackling the region’s high youth unemployment rates – about 21 per cent in Dandenong and nearly 20 per cent in Doveton.
And Jude Perera has yet again staved off a close challenge for his Cranbourne seat from Geoff Ablett, while the ALP also comfortably retained Narre Warren South.
