By Peter Bannan and Wade Stephens
LAKE Boga father-of-five Chris Lahy is having his sixth tilt at the Federal seat of Mallee.
Once again declaring himself a candidate for the Australian Citizens Party, the carer and part time landscape gardener said he’s seeking to give voters an alternative choice at the polling booth.
Mr Lahy had been a candidate for Mallee in the 2007, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022 elections.
“I’ve been flying the flag pretty much every Federal Election,” he said.
“The thing about being involved in politics … the electoral cycle in Australia … it’s based on exactly how much money the major parties throw at people or at a problem and promise to fix it.
“But in my experience of getting around, an election is really quite a distraction from the real nuts and bolts of what people want to change.
“And what I hear is the same thing, people are really unhappy with what’s happening in our electorate and even nationwide.
“It takes a long time to get people to support and what I find really disconcerting is you might talk to a group of people and they may agree with everything you’re saying, or some of what you’re saying, and they go into the election booth, and then all of a sudden, something else happens in their mind and they’ll just vote for one of the major parties.
“If this continues to happen, and for so long as that happens, I’ll be there to give people an alternative.”
Mr Lahy received 822 votes at the last Federal Election, which was his second best result overall, but the lowest of the eight Mallee candidates in the field at the time.
“I know it’s a bit of an age old adage, but it takes a drop to fill an ocean,” he said.
“So, if I get my supporter-ship to slowly increase vote-by-vote, I’m happy with that.”
He said issues poignant to the Mallee electorate for the coming term of government included banking, housing, health and healthcare.
“I talk to lots of young families who are on the cusp of sending their children to university and I’m in that sphere of understanding that finding housing outside your hometown in the electorate of Mallee is really, really difficult,” Mr Lahy said.
“And even here in Swan Hill, I’m talking to all the professionals.
“There’s a group of five teachers, for example, at Swan Hill College, and the only house they can find is in Ultima. It’s just madness.
“With the cost of living and housing crisis, inflation and interest rate rises and a drum beat for war, it has never been more urgent to consider the welfare and interests of the next generations.
“Young people need hope and optimism and vision for the future.”
The electorate of Mallee has been held by the Country, National Country and Nationals parties since the seat’s inception in 1949, and is presently held by two-term MP Dr Anne Webster.
Currently announced candidates for Mallee:
Anne Webster – National Party
Chris Lahy – Australian Citizens Party
Vaughan Williams – One Nation
