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By John Englart<\/a><\/p>\n 4 September 2013<\/p>\n I was recruited by Margo to cover the election in the safe Labor seat of Wills (Seat Profile<\/a>) in mid July. After writing 21 articles I suspect I have put in far more time and work than some of the candidates.<\/p>\n We are at the point in Wills where the Green vote may overtake the Liberal vote for the first time. The Greens are beginning to challenge Labor.<\/p>\n The campaign was marked by the absence of Liberal candidate Shilpa Hegde from all public forums and interviews. Surely the Liberal Party doesn’t expect people to vote for a candidate who doesn’t even attempt to engage with voters? But there is evidence this absence of Liberal candidates<\/a> is widespread and designed to prevent faux pas like the embarrassment of\u00a0Jaymes Diaz in Greenway<\/a> (Youtube Video<\/a>).<\/p>\n There are eight candidates standing in Wills. I managed to interview six of them:<\/p>\n I had drawn up an extensive list of questions covering 10 subject areas of local or national significance to ask each candidate. The questions comprised: economic transition<\/a> and infrastructure issues such as the NBN<\/a> and transport<\/a>, education reform, refugees, climate change<\/a>, biodiversity<\/a>, taxation reform, welfare, marriage equality<\/a>, and data privacy.<\/p>\n I spent many late nights hunched over my computer transcribing hours of audio recordings and processing and uploading video. Bring on the NBN.<\/p>\n I also attended the ballot draw<\/a> at the Declaration of Nominations at the AEC divisional returning office at Glenroy. I actually got to meet Shilpa Hegde and personally asked for an interview. She told me to contact her campaign office …<\/p>\n Where’s Shilpa Hegde? I found her at the drawing of the ballot<\/p><\/div>\n Three meet-the-candidate forums were held in Wills, each one different in style and content, The first was organised by local climate group Climate Action Moreland on the issue of climate and sustainability<\/a>.<\/p>\n The second forum was at Coburg Farmers Market and was on food and agriculture policy<\/a>. Kelvin Thomson, Tim Read and Margarita Windisch responded to a question on the cost of living, energy and food in this video (not included in previous article)<\/p>\nCandidates, forums, campaign launches<\/h3>\n
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