Dr Helen Haines: did not respond to our survey

The Local Paper this week conducted a snap poll of the seven Indi candidates, to gain an indication of what type of responsive representative they might be to the local area.

“What personal visits have [you] made to people in the Murrindindi area (includes Alexandra, Yea, Kinglake and Marysville) in the month since April 10 when the election was called?” we asked on Friday. We set a 5pm deadline.

Steve Martin (Lib.), Eric Kerr (Labor) and Helen Robinson (Greens) emailed replies by deadline time. Shane Wheatland (United Australia Party) sent an email reply outlining his biographical information, but did not address our question.

There were no replies from Jason Whalley (Derryn Hinch Justice Party), Helen Haines (Independent) and Mark Byatt (Nationals). A member of Dr Haines’s team replied on her behalf after deadline (see below).

Steve Martin (Liberal) said his visits to Murrindindi had been:
• April 10 – Day in Alexandra, meeting with the Murrindindi Shire Council,
• April 14 – Visit to Yea and Glenburn,
• April 19 – Visit to Alexandra – Attended the Easter Show with Cindy McLeish.
• April 23 – Day in Murrindindi – Listening Posts in Yea, Kinglake, Marysville and Alexandra.

Eric Kerr (Labor) said: “I’ve met with Murrindindi Council, visited Kinglake for a street talk and discussion around where the $750,000 should go commited by Bill Shorten late last year when we were both in Kinglake.

“As well as discussions around Kinglake’s memorial church. We’ve had our presence at local markets as you saw (Yea).

“I’ve visited Gaffney’s Creek to talk to residents. I’ve been out in Glenburn talking to residents about mobile blackspots as well as Buxton where this was raised as an issue again back in 2016.

“I’ve continued my advocacy for the protection of old growth forest in the Rubicon and surrounds.”

Helen Robinson (Greens) replied: “For the purposes of your survey of the candidates activities in the Murrindindi area I must admit that I have not been to your area during the period of the election.

“I have continued to work full time in my veterinary practice throughout the election period.

“This has significantly impacted on my ability to actively campaign, restricting me to participation in the live candidate forums in the last two weeks, and replying to media requests for Q & A and doing commercial and community radio broadcasts, to the best of my ability, in the time left at the end of my long days at work.

“I have not intentionally ignored the issues of the south. It is just the reality for me as a small business owner.”


The Local Paper also asked: “What do you say to suggestions that the southern quarter of the Indi electorate is largely ignored by Federal candidates?”

Steve Martin (Liberal) said: “I’m proud to have visited all corners of Indi in my time as a candidate, initially visiting 50 towns in 50 days when I was pre-selected.

“I did this so I could hear the needs of the whole electorate, including those in our small rural towns far from the regional centres.

“I also did this to show the electorate the type of local member that I will be if elected on May 18.

“I will not be in an office in Wodonga or Wangaratta, I will be out in our communities, meeting and listening to locals who know what their communities need.

“If Murrindindi has been ignored in the past it certainly won’t be if I’m elected.

“I’ve worked closely over the past few months with Cindy McLeish, an active State Member of Parliament, who has been very keen to share the community’s concerns with me.

“I look forward to working Cindy and community leaders if elected to ensure Murrindindi is listened to in Canberra.”


Eric Kerr (Labor) said: “I would also agree that not only is the southern part of Indi often ignored by candidates, it is often ignored by Members of Parliament and forgotten by bodies such as the AEC.

“I’ve had the misfortune of having to tell an elderly resident from Kinglake that his nearest early voting centre was 50 minutes away in Lilydale.

“Crazy that we have three weeks of early voting when we should cut it down to two and include another early voting centre in the southern part of Indi.”

Dr Haines emailed her reply on Saturday morning:

My engagement with voters and communities in Indi’s southern region:
Before April 10:
• In Alexandra to meet with Murrindindi Shire Council councillors and staff on March 13, .
9 In Kinglake for a range of community and other meetings organised by Michelle Dunscombe on March 19.
•In Alexandra, Marysville and Buxton to meet with community groups and individual people, finishing with a dinner organised by Megan Buntine in Marysville on March 29.

Since April 10:
• In Yea, Alexandra, Bonnie Doon and other communities on April 24 to meet with people and business owners and managers to discuss local issues important to them.
• In Yea on April 28 to open our Independent campaign hub, set up by local volunteers and supporters, in the main street.
•In Alexandra, Yea and Yarck with Tony Pammer on May 1 to meet with businesses, community organisations and individuals so they could brief me on significant local issues.

I’ve had a strong response from Murrindindi voters to my conversation cards, which I circulated in April to gather the range views on significant Murrindindi issues.

The Independent campaign has also been the only one to set up and maintain a hub in Murrindindi Shire.

The communities of Murrindindi have certainly had Cathy McGowan’s ear when she was Indi’s MP and they’ve got mine. The Alexandra, Yea, Kinglake and Marysville communities have made me keenly aware of the issues where you want results:

• Providing community solutions that deliver effective, accessible mental health, aged care and home care services.
• Working to deliver regular, reliable public transport connections with Melbourne’s transport network.
• Ensuring you have a flexible, effective model to maintain vital childcare service funding.
• Working to deliver planning and funding for a multi-purpose community centre in Alexandra.
• Giving landuse planning frameworks in bushfire-affected communities a focus that encourages and nurtures ‘community’.
• Working with government and its agencies to reduce remnant fuel loads.