INDEPENDENT incumbent federal MP Helen Haines has taken out the much sought after number one spot on the Indi electorate ballot paper following a bingo style barrel draw on Friday.
Staged at The Centre on Wangaratta’s Chisholm Street, about 30 people showed up, with many wearing orange, to witness the official draw.
A number was drawn by a blindfolded woman, Belinda, and allocated to each of the nine candidates appearing on a list in order of their nomination.
Under the Act, the blindfolded person to draw out the balls has to be an employee of the Commonwealth, or a state, or an authority of the Commonwealth or a state.
Then the balls were returned to the barrel and the first number drawn was lucky number 7 which was previously assigned to Helen Haines (Ind).
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The rest of the ballot order was: 2. Mitch Bridges (Labor), 3. James Trenery (Liberal), 4. Athol Thomas (One Nation), 5. Alysia Regan (The Greens), 6. Tim Quilty (Libertarian), 7. Michael White (Family First), 8. Ben Howman (Legalise Cannabis), 9. Mark McFarlane (Independent).
Dr Haines said after the draw that she was very grateful to the AEC and the work they do to make it a public event with lots of people coming down and seeing how democracy operates.
“It is literally the luck of the draw of where you go on the ballot paper, so number one, I wouldn’t have any complaints about that,” she quipped.
“The independent movement in Indi has been run on volunteers and there were lots of them turning up today.
“It was terrific to meet the other candidates in this important race and their families and friends who were supporting them.
“We’ve got some important candidate forums coming up which is a real opportunity to have questions and answers with the general public.
“Then pre-poll starts and a lot of people in Indi do their voting in the two weeks leading up to election day.”
Liberal candidate James Trenery attended the draw and said he was happy with number three, but noted there will be a percentage of people who vote from 1 to 9 down the ballot, but others who vote from 9 to 1.
“The latter is something I might be promoting,” he said with a chuckle.
“It’s going to come down to a lot more than the ballot draw and there are quite a few issues starting to rear their head now, which is good."
The only other candidate to attend the draw was Independent Mark McFarlane, who nominated first, however was assigned number nine on the ballot.
Now candidates will be busy finalising their preference deals with fellow candidates ahead of the printing of the how to vote cards.
The elections has certainly had an injection of energy and this will continue on Monday night with the Victorian Farmers Federation Wangaratta and district branch election candidates forum.
The event will have VFF state president Brett Hocking as the convenor and no relevant questions will be barred.
All candidates have been invited to attend the forum.
Early voting polling places open on Tuesday, 22 April with Wareena Park Hall the local venue.
Opening hours will include 22-24 April (8.30am-5.30pm), 26 April (9am-4pm), 28 April to 1 May (8.30-5.30pm), and 2 May (8.30am-6pm).
Polling places on Election Day voting, 3 May, will be open from 8am to 6pm.
