electoral issues

Mayne throws hat in ring for Senate in Victoria

The Stump - July 23, 2010 - 11:00am

Prominent shareholder activist and Crikey founder Stephen Mayne has formally declared a run for a spot in the Senate in Victoria at next month’s federal election, just hours after announcing a parallel political push for a seat in the Victorian upper house.

After warning of a potential run for the Northern Metropolitan Region on his website The Mayne Report for months, the serial candidate appeared to confirm his intentions on Facebook yesterday afternoon. But late last night, that post was deleted, and a press release issued in the early hours of this morning spruiking a Senate bid instead.

Crikey contacted Mayne this morning, who said that a “staffer” had included the reference to Northern Metro on Facebook, and that he was still in the race, pending the Senate result and negotiations with Manningham Council, on which he serves as councillor for Heidi Ward. Read more »

Mayne throws hat in ring for Northern Metro

The Stump - July 22, 2010 - 8:13pm

Prominent shareholder activist and Crikey founder Stephen Mayne has made good on his threat to run for a seat in the state upper house at the Victorian election in November.

After warning of a looming run for Northern Metropolitan on his website The Mayne Report for months, the serial candidate finally confirmed his intentions on his Facebook page this afternoon.

He is expected to campaign heavily on a populist blow-up-the-pokies agenda that propelled South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon all the way to Canberra. The machines are a known scourge in Melbourne’s north, stripping millions of dollars out of addicts’ wallets and into state government coffers.

On Facebook, Mayne described the independent campaign as a “Nick Xenophon-style anti-pokies platform”, before urging followers to “get on board!”

Mayne has lauched a bevy of failed political bids over his carrer including an ambitious run for the Mayor of Melbourne in 2001 and the Federal seat of Higgins in 2007. He was finally elected to Manningham Council’s Heidi Ward in 2008. Read more »