ALP candidates announced without former Mayor Dick Gross

Dick Gross cries foul as ALP Head Office thwarts his bid for re-election to Council

After a protracted internal process, the ALP Public Office Selection Committee has endorsed 7 candidates for the Port Phillip Council elections in October.

Three candidates are current councillors (pictured above) seeking election in new wards, namely;
Louise Crawford in Elwood Ward, Robbie Nyaguy in St Kilda Ward and Peter Martin in Montague Ward. These three were selected unopposed by ALP members.

Dispute lodged after Dick Gross overlooked for Alma Ward

Party member ballots were required in both Balaclava and Alma Wards, with party members voting in support of Libby Buckingham in Balaclava and former Mayor Dick Gross in Alma.
But under ALP rules, an internal party selection committee also has a say. This process confirmed the endorsement of Buckingham for Balaclava Ward. But in Alma, Jill Horman, the runner up candidate in the local ballot, was selected as candidate instead of local vote winner Dick Gross.

TWiSK understands that Gross is disputing the decision via an internal ALP process. He is offended that the Alma candidate have been announced before his dispute has been heard.

“I didn’t want to comment before my dispute process was completed,” he told TWiSK.
“But the Party has announced me as not endorsed so I need to clarify.
“I won the local plebiscite. The party overruled that election in an undemocratic manner.”