Sophie Mirabella, the Federal Member for Indi and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science is facing a serious challenge on September 7 in the form of Independent candidate Cathy McGowan.
Ms McGowan, who once worked for former Liberal Indi MP Ewen Cameron and grew up in the region, has strong local backing and is connected to the Victorian Farmers Federation. Ms McGowan’s work with rural communities was recognised in 2004 when she was made an Officer in the Order of Australia.
Local Liberal Party members have accused, amongst others, National Party members for supporting Ms McGowan as a result of the Liberal Party’s decision not only to stand a candidate in the rural Victorian seat of Mallee, held by a retiring National MP, but also to direct its preferences to the ALP.
Sophie Mirabella, who in the 2010 Federal Election held Indi with a margin of almost 20 per cent (two-party preferred) against Labor, was quoted in the Herald Sun this week as saying “campaigns of other candidates is a matter for them”, and that she was more concerned with selling her own record to her electorate, and what she can deliver in the future.
However, an email sent to local Liberal volunteers suggests Ms Mirabella may be more concerned than she lets on.
The email, obtained by online independent news organisation Crikey, asked her supporters to write letters to editors of local newspapers – in order not only to voice support for the sitting MP, but to question Ms McGowan’s position on policy issues including the carbon tax and government stability in a potential future hung parliament.