In short:
One Nation has entered the Point Cook election battle, unveiling longtime local Cameron Reid as its first lower house candidate in Wyndham. The party enters the race while polling at around 23 to 24 per cent statewide in Victoria.
First Lower House Candidate In Wyndham
One Nation has unveiled its first lower house candidate in Wyndham, with Cameron Reid set to ride the orange wave into the race for Point Cook.
A Point Cook local of more than 20 years, Cameron spent three decades in emergency response roles with the Department of Justice and also works as a real estate agent and buyer’s agent.
He has listed community safety, support for emergency workers, housing affordability, cost-of-living relief and improvements to local infrastructure among his key priorities.
“Point Cook deserves representation that puts local residents first. My focus is simple: safer communities, affordable housing, support for frontline workers and ensuring government delivers real value for taxpayers,” he said.
Reid’s appointment comes four weeks after One Nation selected Fiona Lopez as the region’s upper house hopeful, as the party emerges as a major threat to both Labor and the Liberals.
(One Nation’s Victorian leader Warren Pickering, flanked by party founder Pauline Hanson.)
Major Threat To Labor Heartland And Liberal Hopes
Recent Victorian polling has One Nation attracting around 23 to 24 per cent of the statewide primary vote, with Roy Morgan polling the party at 23.5 per cent, while the latest Plain Politics and Australian Election Tracker polling averages put it at 23.5 per cent and 23.8 per cent respectively.
Labor retained the seat of Point Cook at the 2022 state election, despite its primary vote falling 9.5 percentage points to 40 per cent and the two-party-preferred result swinging 4.4 points towards the Liberals.
Despite the swing against the government, Reid faces a strong field, with incumbent Labor MP Mathew Hilakari, serial Liberal challenger Raja Reddy and the Greens’ Ponraj Krishna Pandi already campaigning in the seat.
While winning outright will be a major challenge, potential preference deals with the Liberals, The West Party and other parties could seriously threaten Hilakari’s bid for re-election.
The electoral district of Point Cook covers the suburbs of Altona Meadows, Seabrook, Point Cook and Werribee South.
The state election will be held on Saturday 28 November.
