Scientist and snake catcher hope it’s independents’ day in Melton

The formerly safe Labor seat of Melton remained too close to call at 9pm on election night, with Labor MP Steve McGhie ahead on primary votes, but with Liberal rival Graham Watt and two ambitious independents still in a position to influence the outcome.

Melton has been safe Labor territory since its founding 30 years ago, but the Liberals and a handful of independents have sniffed winds of change and campaigned on the claim that turfing the ALP is the surest way to end decades of the outer western electorate being taken for granted.

McGhie was ahead with 33 per cent of the vote with 6 per ent of the votes counted, with Watt trailing on 19 per cent and independents Ian Birchall and Jarrod Bingham on 7 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively.

McGhie said he had received a generally favourable reception from voters while campaigning.

“The odd person wants to have a dash about whatever it is, ‘I wouldn’t vote Labor’, but I think generally it’s been pretty good,” he said. “I’m reasonably confident, without being overly confident,” he said.

Labor won Melton with a margin of 5 per cent at the last election, but suffered a 15 per cent swing, and McGhie said he did not sense a strong anti-Labor sentiment this time. He said that the Andrews government had delivered for the area in the past four years.

“At the end of the day I can’t deal with what went on before me, I can only deal with what I’ve done … I think there’s been a change in Melton.”

He cited commitments to build a TAFE, a hospital, and to remove the area’s three level crossings as evidence the electorate was not being overlooked.

Watt, who was the member for eastern suburban Burwood until he lost his seat in 2018, said he felt a “mood for change” in Melton.

“I think people understand that they’ve been neglected and that the infrastructure deficit out here in Melton is a problem. There is a lot of growth here, but there’s not been growth in infrastructure,” he said.

Independent candidates Dr Ian Birchall, a scientist, and Jarrod Bingham, a snake catcher, were both hopeful that Melton voters would embrace their pitch to turn the seat independent. Both directed their preferences against Labor.

“I’m running on the line that you put an independent in and at least I might be able to shine a bit of light on Melton’s neglect and get things happening,” Birchall said.

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