Ablett for Libs

– Bridget Brady
CASEY councillor Geoff Ablett has joined the State election race.
The Balla Balla Ward councillor and former Casey mayor was recently endorsed as the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Cranbourne, and said he hoped to merge the grassroots elements of local government into politics for the benefit of locals.
“I will maintain that local presence because local government is really important and I want to be able to connect with people and pick up what’s happening,” he said.
The former Hawthorn Football Club premiership player said he was amazed that he had never seen a sitting state member at a council meeting during his time with Casey Council.
Cr Ablett joined the other two local Liberal candidates in Berwick yesterday when Opposition Leader Ted Bailieu launched their campaigns.
Local businesswoman Michelle Frazer is up against Luke Donnellan for the Narre Warren North seat and former MP Gary Rowe will contest Judith Graley for the Narre Warren South seat.
Cr Ablett said areas that needed to be addressed in the Cranbourne electorate included public transport, roads, parking at railways stations, broadband provisions, facilities for people with disabilities and the fallout from the Stevensons Road closed landfill debacle.
Jude Perera currently holds the seat of Cranbourne for the ALP.