By Benjamin Millar
Maribyrnong councillor Catherine Cumming is on track to enter state Parliament as the fifth and final upper house representative for Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Star Weekly revealed in February that Cr Cumming would be ending her 20-year run as an independent to take a tilt at state Parliament as a candidate for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party.
With almost 60 per cent of the vote rechecked by Tuesday, Ms Cumming had picked up 7 per cent, behind Labor, the Liberal party and the Greens.
Labor’s Cesar Melhem, Ingrid Stitt and Kaushaliya Vaghela have secured three seats and the Liberal party’s Bernie Finn will be safely returned.
Huong Truong of the Greens is likely to lose her place as preference flows from micro-parties help Cr Cumming over the line.
“I’m still so excited, I just can’t wait to represent the west and fight for the area on state issues in the Parliament,” Cr Cumming said.
“I will be making [Labor] stand by their promises and not somehow do a backflip on them.”
Cr Cumming will also push for drug law reform and more measures to tackle problems associated with the use of ice.
Once her election is confirmed she will resign as a councillor, triggering a countback of votes from the 2016 council election to elect her replacement.
Benjamin Millar
