General News
22 August, 2024
Alex Dyson to run for Wannon seat again
WARRNAMBOOL’S Alex Dyson has announced his intention to run in next year’s Federal election after a historic result in the 2022 saw Wannon become a marginal seat.
He has unveiled plans to officially launch his campaign this weekend in Warrnambool as he begins preparations for what is tipped to be the closest election in the seat’s history.
The next federal election will be held on or before September 27, 2025, with Mr Dyson hoping he can continue the momentum he’s built over the past two elections as he has inched closer-and-closer to Wannon slipping from the Liberals’ grasp for the first time.
Mr Dyson first ran for Wannon in the 2019 election, where he would earn the biggest swing of voters with a 10.4 per cent gain – 10,797 votes.
While the result was impressive for the first-year candidate, he still sat comfortably behind Labor candidate Maurice Billi (27,150 votes) and incumbent Wannon MP Dan Tehan (53,094).
When the 2022 election rolled around, not only would Mr Dyson almost double his votes from the previous election with a 9.6 per cent positive swing but he would overtake Labor candidate Gilbert Wilson (6.8 per cent swing against) and bring what has been a Liberal safe seat since 1955 to just a 3.9 per cent marginal seat.
In what will be his third federal campaign, Mr Dyson, a self-described “reluctant politician” who is known for his positive style, said he had been encouraged by community members, including the Voices of Wannon group, to throw his hat in the ring.
He hopes to use the momentum from his last campaign where he, with the support of over 500 local volunteers, was able to shift Wannon into a marginal electorate for the first time in 67 years.
“Like most country people, I’m an advocate of not just complaining about problems, but rolling your sleeves up and making an effort to fix them,” Mr Dyson said.
“I’m honoured the community has once again placed their trust in me to be their honest, local, and importantly - independent representative in Canberra.”
For a shot at victory, he will need to continue the trend of the past two elections and sway voters in and around his hometown of Warrnambool.
In the Wannon electorate, Labor has traditionally recorded strong results in Ararat, Portland and in costal communities in the south-east corner such as Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Apollo Bay.
Areas such as Hamilton, Warrnambool, Terang, Mortlake, Camperdown, Noorat and Cobden, however, have a long history of being Liberal strongholds, voting anywhere from 52 to 80 per cent Liberal.
According to his website, Mr Dyson is platform includes bringing integrity and positivity back to politics, improving roads and infrastructure, addressing housing and climate, and ensuring Wannon gets a fair share of federal funding.
To officially mark the start of his campaign, he will be holding a free public kick-off event at Warrnambool Civic Green this Saturday, August 24, from 11am-1pm.
Mr Dyson invited the wider community to come along to the kick-off event, which will feature local community figure Mary Coverdale and acclaimed Warrnambool artist Didirri.
Federal Independent member for Goldstein Zoe Daniel will also be in attendance to share her insights into just how the region, and the country, can benefit from independent representation.
“I’m thrilled that Zoe Daniel has offered to join us at our kick-off event in Warrnambool, and share how Independent candidates can bring insight and integrity to a political system that has been giving traditionally safe electorates like Wannon a raw deal for decades,” Mr Dyson said.
“With the current margin at just 4 per cent, the likelihood of Wannon changing hands for the first time in 70 years is now a very real possibility.”
For more information visit www.alexdysonindependent.com.