Nationals pin hopes on publican to topple premier in Bendigo

Before last year’s national election, the federal seat of Bendigo was safe Labor territory.

But Nationals candidate and publican Andrew Lethlean put a stop to that. He achieved a swing of more than 10 per cent against sitting Labor MP Lisa Chesters, whose electorate now sits on a margin of under 1.5 per cent.

The feat Lethlean achieved was one few thought was possible. But in November, he hopes to better last year’s performance and dethrone Premier Jacinta Allan in her state electorate of Bendigo East.

The margins are similar – Allan holds her electorate by 10.8 per cent. However, the Nationals hope that as the Victorian government struggles in opinion polls and accumulates plenty of political baggage after three terms, Lethlean’s high profile in the area and campaign experience will be enough to hand them victory in Bendigo East for the first time in the seat’s history.

Lethlean spoke to the media beside the still water of Lake Weeroona on Tuesday as he was officially confirmed as the Nationals’ candidate for Bendigo East.

“I was born and bred in this town and I love this town, but I think we’ve been neglected for quite a while now,” he said.

Lethlean said people were “aching for change”, but conceded he faced a greater challenge in facing the premier than he did at the federal election last year, but hoped his life experience – running restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs for the past 30 years – would assist.

“I’m not a career politician. I just want to make a difference for the country and the region. And I hope my life experience is going to help,” he said.

Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien said fielding a strong candidate in Bendigo East would force Allan to focus on her own patch during the statewide campaign.

“Absolutely, we think this will make the premier have to look in her own backyard and work harder here,” he said.

The election is still more than six months away and campaigning is yet to begin in earnest. On Tuesday, the only obvious candidate placards were those that O’Brien, Lethlean and upper house MP Gaelle Broad were waving beside the road at Lake Weeroona.

Bendigo East resident Jim Evans has dealt with both Allan and Lethlean. He said when he turned 90 last week, he received a card and personal note from the premier.

He said Allan took the time to meet with him and discuss his group’s concerns when he was president of the Bendigo Historical Society.

“She does listen to you,” Evans said.

Evans, who has a bias towards Labor, was elated when Allan was first elected in 1999.

“My wife and I both said at the time: [she] will be premier of Victoria,” he said.

Bendigo East voters appreciated their local MP has statewide responsibilities, Evans said, but they also expected her to take a strong interest in her electorate too.

Evans said he wanted Allan to intervene and stop the council from closing the Bendigo East pool during winter. He fears the temporary closure is a precursor to a long-term shutdown.

The former teacher worked at Golden Square High School when Lethlean was a student there in the early 1980s and knew him as a “terrific footballer”.

Evans said Lethlean’s sporting prowess endeared him to his classmates, and he believes the candidate is well-known and well-liked in the community.

Evans expects Allan would retain the seat but would have to fight hard against Lethlean.

“It’s a big challenge. He stood up against Lisa Chesters and did very well,” he said.

Allan said she had “fought damn hard, fought every single day” for Bendigo East, which she said had been a marginal electorate since she won it from the Liberals in 1999.

“I love the community I was born in. I love the community I grew up in, and I’m now so proud to represent,” she said.

“The National Party have always been too weak to fight for what matters for Bendigo families, they’re too weak to fight One Nation division, and they’re too weak to fight Liberal Party cuts.”

Zareh Ghazarian, an associate professor of politics at Monash University, said Allan’s profile as premier and the fact she had held Bendigo East since 1999 should work in her favour.

“Bendigo East should be a safe electorate for Labor,” he said.

But Ghazarian cautioned that a looming sense of electoral danger hung over the electorate even though Labor’s primary vote fell by just 2 per cent at the 2022 state election. Allan’s substantial margin, though, should be enough to withstand the Nationals challenge.

“If, however, there really is a mood for change, and Lethlean’s support continues to build, then this could well be one of the close seats to watch on election night,” Ghazarian said.

Should Lethlean go one step further than last year, it will no doubt go down as legendary in pubs and political circles for generations to come.

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