MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillor Steve Holland is believed to be one of four Liberal Party candidates seeking to take over the Upper House seat of Eastern Victoria about to be vacated by Edward O’Donohue.
Mr O’Donohue announced last month that he would retire by Christmas, less than one year out from the next state election.
Other Liberals in the running to fill the vacancy are Renee Heath, a member of the City Builders Church and a member of the party’s administration committee; journalist and author Sue Smethurst; and Yarra Ranges councillor, Catherine Burnett-Wake.
The successful candidate will be chosen by an online vote of party members.
If successful in becoming an MP for Eastern Victoria, Cr Holland, one of three Briars Ward councillors, would be replaced by one of the 12 failed candidates at the November 2020 poll in a countback conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission.
The countback and election of a new councillor for Briars Ward would follow that conducted in Nepean Ward after the resignation in March of Cr Hugh Fraser who was replaced by runner-up Susan Bissinger in April.
Mr O’Donohue, one of five MPs representing the upper house seat of Eastern Victoria, announced he would leave parliament before the end of 2021 shortly after Matthew Guy took over as state Opposition Leader (“Liberals on move under new leader” The News 21/9/21).
The region of Eastern Victoria includes the peninsula and Frankston as well as East Gippsland.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 19 October 2021
