An independent firebrand heads a list of female contenders for Brimbank council.
More than a third of Brimbank council’s 19 confirmed councillor candidates are women.
Democracy returns to the area with eight females having publicly signalled their intention to run in the October 22 election.
The candidates are Anh Pham, Lucinda Bailey, Nicola McKay, Victoria Borg, Jenny Isa, Virginia Tachos, former mayor Margaret Guidice and Silvia Tejedor.
Nicola McKay has been an outspoken critic of the “short-sighted” federal government and has used social media to condemn the possible closure of an ABC production house in Adelaide.
Back in 2014 she slammed the government for spending money on “c-ck-enlarging fighter planes”, on Facebook.
“Thanks for creating a brilliant example of this government’s complete short-sightedness,” she wrote.
“As long as your … teeny tiny area of interest is OK, the rest of us … can go get f–ked.”
Confirming her candidacy, McKay told Star Weekly she was “truly independent”, and a supporter of the Member for Indi, independent Cathy McGowan.
“The success of Cathy McGowan has shown that the community can take control of its own destiny if people are passionate and engaged,” she wrote in 2014.
She said earlier this week her campaign would kick off today with “street theatre”.
So far 12 men – Neil Ta, Aaron Ciotti, Costas Socratous, Prathap Shetty, Trung Luu, Christian Martinu, Simon Vallone, John Hedditch, Bruce White, Richard Carthew, Alex Schlotzer and Kwabena Ansah – have also announced they’re in the race.
Former councillors Sam David and Troy Atanasovski are expected to run but have not yet made their intentions public.
Melton has the highest percentage of female councillors, with five of seven positions, while neighbouring council Moorabool has the lowest, with one woman among seven councillors.
Nominations open with the Victorian Electoral Commission on September 15 and close on September 20.
Nomination updates can be found at vec.vic.gov.au
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