The declaration was completed at the Shepparton electorate office at noon on Friday, where the seven widely known canidates — five who have been active since earlier this year — were joined by four new minor party candidates.
Tim Laird, from the Liberal Democratic Party, won top billing on the ballot paper at the draw and Independent Rob Priestly is at the other extreme.
He is the 11th candidate on the lengthy list.
While new to the Nicholls electorate election process Undera farmer Ian Christoe, who is the Australian Greens candidate, is not new to politics.
He has run twice for the state seat of Murray Plains against Nationals leader Peter Walsh.
Swan Hill Rural City Council accountant, Andrea Otto, is representing the Fusion Party and Eleanor Tabone, a teacher, is the last of the new candidates.
The four join Mr Priestly, Nationals Party candidate Sam Birrell, Liberal’s Steve Brooks, United Australia Party candidate Dr Rob Peterson, One Nation’s Rikkie Tyrrell, Labor candidate Bill Lodwick and Citizens Party option Jeff Davy.
Mr Lodwick only made his decision to run again — he was involved in the 2019 election against current member (retiring at this election) Damian Drum — last week.
There were eight candidates involved in the 2019 Nicholls election, three of those independents alongside the major parties of the Nationals (Mr Drum), Labor (Mr Lodwick), One Nation (Ms Tyrrell), United Australia and the Greens.
The Greens and United Australia candidates are new to the Nicholls electorate.
Mr Laird, who is listed as unemployed on the Australian Electoral Commission website, was born and raised in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
For more than a decade, Mr Laird has been a devoted volunteer in a variety of community youth programs for sport, church, personal development, and at-risk youth.
He has worked in the software and broadcasting industries.
“Our current government has shown contempt for the rights and liberties of the people,” Mr Laird said, in his party profile introduction.
“Individuals make better decisions for themselves than the government and they should be free to make those decisions without government interference.”
Mr Lodwick’s return as a candidate offers stern opposition to the Coalition candidate, given the national political landscape.
Mr Lodwick is manager of exploration and development with Red Sky Energy Ltd, which is an oil and gas company that operates in South Australia’s Cooper Basin.
A geophysicist with more than 35 years of experience in the industry, he has managed exploration and production projects around the world including South East Asia and Australasia.
He was also principal geophysicist with an international consultancy where he managed projects in Thailand, Gabon, Philippines and Malaysia.
Mr Christoe, the Australian Greens candidate, is a Dookie College graduate who owns an Undera property and worked for a short time as manager of Kyabram Research Institute.
The father of two who ran as a state candidate for the seat of Murray Plans in 2014 and 2018.
A GV Community Energy director, he polled four per cent of the vote at the 2014 election.
Ms Otto, representing the Fusion Party, moved to Northern Victoria almost 30 years ago.
She earned her degree in accounting while working full-time and raising two daughters.
She was part of regional political group One Planet, which ultimately joined the Fusion party.
“I was inspired to run as a candidate by the prospect of effecting real change in the political sphere,” Ms Otto said in her political introduction.
“I have been politically engaged since a young age when I saw the power of people play out in the Franklin Dam protests of the ’80s on the TV.
“My first protest march was for nuclear disarmament, at that time I was just 15 years of age.
“Empowerment and a sense of community came from these early experiences.
“The issue of most concern to me is the Climate Emergency and its effect on people, our communities and our natural environment.
“It is a problem that successive governments have failed to act on, jeopardising the future for our children, and delaying action to the point where we will be forced to abandon towns, farms and homes due to repeated severe flooding along our east coast.”
Ms Tabone, a teacher, is the final new candidate.
She is representing the Australian Federation Party, which had no details on the candidate listed on its web page.
The list of candidates, in order on the ballot paper are:
1) Tim Laird. 2) Sam Birrell. 3) Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell. 4) Bill Lodwick. 5) Jeff Davy. 6) Dr Robert Peterson. 7) Ian Christoe. 8) Andrea Otto. 9) Steve Brooks. 10) Eleonor Tabone. 11) Rob Priestly.
Inside this week’s Riverine Herald we will attempt to provide readers with a more in depth look at the newest candidates to join the race for Nicholls.
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