Munish Joshi and Aijaz MoinuddinMunish Joshi and Aijaz Moinuddin

After the resignation of the Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, member for Werribee, the by-election was announced for February 8. Initially the name of Indian community local businessman Rajan Chopra had surfaced as the Liberal party candidate. Later the Liberal party pre-selected Steve Murphy. There are now 12 candidates in the fray with 2 Indians – Munish Joshi and Aijaz Moinuddin, contesting as Independents.

The candidates of interest are:

  • Munish Joshi – Independent

Munish Joshi recently visited Sri Durga Temple Melbourne Rockbank to seek blessings for February 8 wherein he is contesting as an independent candidate for the Werribee District taking on the Labor and Liberal party candidates with much bigger resources.

“I had the privilege of meeting inspiring temple committee members dedicated to community service. Together, we can build a brighter future for all. I am committed to upholding connections with the community. Let us collaborate to drive lasting positive change. Jai Mata Di”, he wrote on Facebook appealing to the voters who live locally and go to the temple on a regular basis.

His priorities are – healthcare access, fostering inclusivity, and improved public transport which is sickeningly time consuming for anyone commuting daily to and from work. The nightmare is only known to those who live in the area.

  • Aijaz Moinuddin – Independent

Aijaz contested the state seat of Tarneit in 2022 election as an Independent and received 534 or 1.37% votes. Previously he had contested the Federal seat of Lalor as an Independent in 2022 Federal election and secured 2535 or 2.86% votes. That was a big improvement on his previous attempt (2019 Federal election for the seat of Lalor) as an Independent when he could only manage 1119 or 1.2% votes.

He has formed his own party called United Peoples Party which is yet to be registered under s 125 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 or un der Part 4 of the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic). Thus, Aijaz is contesting this by-election as an Independent candidate.

Aijaz is a passionate advocate for multicultural representation, social cohesion and addressing the unique needs of the local community.

  • John Lister – Australian Labor Party

Fortunate to have been picked as candidate for the safe Labor seat although his party seems to be suffering from incumbency led by not so popular premier at the moment, John Lister, a 31-year-old Werribee local, is a teacher. He is also a volunteer Fire Fighter. His platform is to continue fighting for every dollar he can for infrastructure, education investment, improved public transport for the district.

  • Steve Murphy – Liberal Party

Although there is much hype that the people of Werribee want the seat to change hands in this by-election, it is worth noting that the last time the Liberals held this seat was way back in the 1970s. Steve Murphy is a former police officer and town planner. He has been running his local real estate business for the last 26 years. He is a true local, having only moved away to be close to his children during covid.

Like his political outfit, – the Liberal Party, Steve’s campaign focuses on tackling cost-of-living pressures, supporting local businesses, and improving infrastructure.

  • A. Raheem Rifai – Australian Greens

The Greens have picked A Raheem Rifai as their candidate for the by-election. He is the president of the Werribee Islamic Centre and thus has strong ties to the local community. Unsurprisingly, he advocates for environmental sustainability, social equity, and better community services.

Going by previous results, although there can be swing against the Labor party, the Werribee seat is unlikely to change hands on February 8 unless lady luck favours Steve Murphy, Munish Joshi or Aijaz Moiunddin.

Voting on election day in the by-election will be from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday 8 February. Voting is compulsory for all voters who were on the roll in Werribee District when the roll closed at 8 pm on Monday 13 January.

Voters can vote early from Wednesday 29 January to Friday 7 February. Details of opening hours and accessibility ratings are available on the Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC) online voting centre locator: maps.vec.vic.gov.au/elections.