Council & Politics
2 May, 2025
Is this the toughest gig in politics?
Labor candidate Greg Olsen was in Stawell this week handing out how to vote cards in an electorate that Labor has never come anywhere close to winning.
Greg Olsen is realistic about his chances as Labor’s candidate in Mallee.
Mr Olsen was in Stawell this week handing out how to vote cards in an electorate that Labor has never come anywhere close to winning.
“I’m realistic. I haven’t got the champagne on ice,” he told the Stawell Times-News this week.
“I am a life member of the Labor Party and I got the call and stepped up. I’m prepared to be a candidate and give voters a choice, that’s the basic principle that I follow.
“There is a National Party wall in Mallee and it’s a hard wall to get over but I was very attracted to stand because it is a rural seat, Having grown up in the country I identify with the electorate and its issues,” he said.
Mallee is Victoria’s largest electorate.
It was formed in 1949 and has always been held by the Nationals and its predecessor the Country Party.
At the last election, despite a swing to Labor, the National’s Anne Webster received a 3.3% swing towards her, winning by a whopping 69% of the two party vote.
Mallee stretches from Stawell to the South Australian border and north to the Murray River and includes Stawell, Maryborough, Horsham, Mildura and Swan Hill.
Mr Olsen said Mallee has many different communities with many varied interests.
“It’s diverse. It is diverse in terrain and environment and people. It’s a magnificent seat and each part of the electorate has its different set of issues.”
“You pick up on very local issues, I’m learning all the time and discovering all the time there is a continuing need to engage with people to find out what the issues are,” he said.
Mr Olsen said he is realistic about his chances tomorrow night.
“For me personally in terms of Mallee, the goal is to try and put a bit of a squeeze on Anne’s (Webster) very substantial margin. A few percentage points in my direction would be seen as a success.
“A win would be unrealistic, I haven’t got the champagne on ice but I think personally to get to the finish line and to see this campaign through and offer an alternative, I will be more than satisfied with that,” Mr Olsen said.