Family First focus on Narracan

by Aidan Knight
Family First candidate for Narracan Geoff Dethlefs is focusing his campaign on preserving his view of the Australian family.
The 82-year old ran for the same party in last year's federal election in Monash, receiving 1.76 per cent of the primary vote. Despite finishing at the bottom of the polls, he decided to run again for state government this year out of an urge to represent the party's values, hopefully providing a springboard for future results.
"People get rusted into what their parents voted for, and they don't seem to want to change", he said on the voting habits of both Narracan and wider Australia.
"I'm happy to be here," he told the Gazette of his political participation.
The conservative draws openly on his faith informing his policies and approach, arguing against keeping religion out of politics, as "you aim for what you want in life because of what you believe and what you think is true and right."
While Family First faces an uphill battle in seats long dominated by the major parties, Dethlefs said he would will continue to speak out on issues of life, family and energy policy for as long as he was able. His professional background as a schoolteacher and pastor ironically serve him well when faced with opposing opinions.
"If you disagree, you just say, 'Well, you see it that way, I see it this way, that's fine.'"
Not a career politician, the retired teacher said he wasn't particularly political until recent years, but became increasingly "fed up with the way we're governed these days", especially on social policy and energy. That frustration, he said, was what ultimately led him from the pulpit and classroom onto the ballot paper.
In the world of policy, Mr Dethlefs would seek to move Narracan away from relying on renewables for baseload power, and is the second candidate in the race to be pro-nuclear, arguing if it was suitable for existing facilities and submarines it should be considered more seriously as part of Australia's civilian energy mix. On renewables, he also questioned laws that allow major projects to proceed over landholder objections.
Another localised policy would be West Gippsland Hospital.
"People who know much better than I know that we need an updated [hospital]," he said. "So I'm very happy to support that."
"I look at the new hospital down at Traralgon. When you went to visit someone, you parked your car in the parking lot, you walked it along, you walked three kilometres," he said, acknowledging the distance was an exaggeration but reflecting community frustration about access, something he would focus on should he gain
the seat of Narracan.