Top brass set to visit area

By Melissa Meehan
THE election has been called and politicians in McMillan and La Trobe are set to go into overdrive.
While the electorate of McMillan is seen as a safe Liberal seat, La Trobe has always been a hotbed of high profile political visits as the campaign intensifies.
It is believed the area will receive a visit or two from Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott over the next four weeks to try and get their candidates over the line.
Major issues for the three electorates include managing the growth area, health, education and reducing the cost of living.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood has a battle on his hands to be retained, with just a 0.05 per cent margin in his seat.
But he has accused Labor of bringing in outsiders in an attempt to knock him off his perch.
Mr Wood, a resident of the area for more than 40 years, believes the ALP continues to show little interest in La Trobe.
“This is the third election in a row they have brought someone in from town who has no idea about the local area,” he said. “I know about the needs of the local community, which is something on my side.”
The Labor candidate for La Trobe, Laura Smyth, has lived in Ferntree Gully since last year.
Ms Smyth will focus on three key issues affecting people across the country, including health, education and infrastructure.
She said there were a lot of families in the electorate moving into the area where there was a serious shortage of doctors and nurses. She would also concentrate on the need for trade centres across the electorate.
Greens candidate Jim Reiher will keep the two major parties on their toes.
The sitting member for McMillan, Liberal Russell Broadbent, holds his seat with a margin of 4.8 per cent.
Mr Broadbent said the main issue in the electorate would be the rising cost of living.
“People are really concerned about the cost of living,” he said. “And government policy, both State and Federal, affects that. Another important issue is access to hospitals and doctors.”
Opponent Christine Maxfield said voters in the electorate were worried about health, education and jobs.
“I will certainly be pushing these issues when running for parliament. People deserve a local member who comes out of their office and really listens to people and the community,” she said.