Ballot losers taste sweet edge to bitter defeat

Paul Dunlop
BASS Labor candidate John Anderson was disappointed to lose but found plenty of positives, both personally and for his party.
“I think Labor has now identified its base, its weaknesses and has a solid platform to build on,” he said in the wake of Saturday’s election.
Mr Anderson said the State Government’s commitment to contributing $333,000 of the funding for the restoration of Pakenham’s outdoor pool was a major highlight.
“This made the whole exercise worthwhile,” he said.
The emergence of new political parties in Bass, with the Nationals and Family First also contesting the election, made comparisons with previous elections difficult, he said.
“In the Cardinia end of the electorate, I think that water played a part, as did the fast rail. If only it had come on line six months earlier,” Mr Anderson said.
Bass Independent challenger, Pakenham woman Cheryl BillingSmith, said she had learnt a lot and believed she had helped make a difference.
Ms BillingSmith also raised the major parties’ support for Pakenham pool as a highlight.
“As an independent I found it hard going. There is no party machine behind independents,” she said.
“It is lonely, isolating and hard work, however I also found some absolutely wonderful people struggling to get adequate support who were kind and generous of spirit.”