Tony Lupton for Prahran
“This by-election won’t change the government, but it shouldn’t reward the other parties that haven’t earned your trust.”
Tony Lupton campaign announcement 8 December 2024
My opinion piece in the Herald Sun
Safe Streets and Reducing Crime
I’ve been speaking to many residents of Prahran about what matters to them.
Here I’m talking to Pat who lives in South Yarra. Like many people, she is concerned about the rise in crime and the state of Chapel Street.
I will set up a taskforce of agencies and stakeholders that will act decisively to ensure people of all ages feel safe to enjoy our area.
Community policing with cops on the beat, visible and able to deter crime and antisocial behaviour can make a difference.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and be safe on our streets.
And vulnerable people shouldn’t be left to live on the streets. We need a comprehensive welfare and public safety approach now. This vital issue has been neglected for too long.
Childcare Centre Facing Closure
Windsor Community Children’s Centre will close in 2025 unless we act to stop this happening.
This is another problem created by the Liberals, not fixed by the current government and the Greens just don’t care.
The last Liberal government gifted this children’s centre land to Swinburne University free. Swinburne then walked away from Prahran but didn’t walk away from their free gift.
Now they want to sell the land for development for a massive windfall profit and force a community child care centre to close. This is outrageous.
I will act to bring together a range of community groups, local government and residents to pressure the government and save this vital community resource.
Education Precinct in Limbo
The former Swinburne site in Prahran is supposed to be a thriving creative precinct but it’s been in limbo for years.
This problem was started by the Liberals when they were in government, hasn’t been fixed by the present government and the Greens just don’t care.
I will ensure this area becomes the vibrant creative educational hub the Prahran community needs and deserves.
As your state member of parliament I will focus on the local issues that matter to you. Prahran has been neglected. It’s Time to Put Prahran First.
Here are some of the issues I will prioritise from Day One:
Clean up Chapel Street and deter crime. People living on Chapel Street is a blight on the community. We need a mix of welfare, mental health, drug and police responses to make Chapel Street the safe and vibrant place it should be. 18 year olds and 80 year olds have told me they don't feel safe. I will lead a taskforce to clean up Chapel Street.
Save the Windsor Community Children's Centre. This community kindergarten will be forced to close in 2025 unless we act decisively. This is a mess started by the Liberals, hasn't been fixed by the present government and the Greens just don't care. I will act with the community to pressure the state government to save this precious children's centre.
Revitalise the former Swinburne Prahran site. I will ensure our traditional education precinct becomes the creative and vibrant place it should be.
Ensure the Alfred hospital has the doctors and nurses it needs to look after the community. Sources inside the hospital tell me they aren't able to fill surgical and nursing positions because of funding shortfalls.
Not Voting Greens Any More
Erica lives in Prahran and used to vote Greens, but she isn’t voting Greens any more. In this short video she tells us why.
I’m a local. My partner Julie and I have lived in the electorate for 25 years and have raised our daughters here.
I’ve represented Prahran before in the state parliament, as the Labor member during the Bracks and Brumby governments. I was Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation and Cabinet Secretary. I know how government works.
Now I want to represent my community again, this time as our local independent voice. Still with those traditional Labor values but with the independence to make the political parties work for us.
As a local, the things that matter to Prahran matter to me. Things like providing the best health care, quality education for all and tackling crime.
I’ve represented people for much of my life, both as a barrister and member of parliament.
I’m also a decision maker. I’ve spent around a decade as a statutory Tribunal member, mainly in the area of mental health.
About Tony
Outside of family, my main interests involve classic and historic cars and I’m the honorary secretary of the MG Car Club of Victoria.
In a world that is changing rapidly and where many aspects of life can feel out of control, we need to take stock, stop the chaos and focus on local action that makes a difference.
I represent the traditional Labor values of equal opportunity and dignity and believe a fair society is one in which everyone can reach their full potential. I think those values are shared by the vast majority of people.
As your independent member of state parliament, I will be able to give you a direct voice on the things that matter to you.
Tony announced his candidacy at an event in Prahran electorate on Sunday 8 December.
Candidacy Announcement Full Text
8 December 2024
Today I am announcing that I’m coming out of political retirement to stand as an independent candidate for the District of Prahran. I’m standing because Labor’s cowardly decision not to run in this by-election would have left many people disenfranchised and without a genuine choice.
I’m a local. I went to school right here at Christian Brothers College, just across this park. My partner Julie and I have lived in the electorate for 25 years and have raised our daughters here. The people of Prahran know me as their former Labor member of parliament and Cabinet Secretary in the Brumby government. By standing as an independent this campaign allows us to turn the political process on its head.
A local member in a political party can support people as much as they like, but if their party leadership doesn’t, there’s nothing they can do. They end up justifying why nothing can be done. That has to change.
Instead of a political party selling a set of one size fits all policies, what I offer the people of Prahran is the opportunity to join with me to find solutions and outcomes on local issues in ways no political party is able to do.
There is enormous frustration about the inertia of party politics. If leaders won’t lead, or they stray out of the mainstream, we need to find another way to show them how.
It’s about the basics and about a fair go. Like a local child care centre under threat of closure that struggles to make its case or get more than platitudes from political parties.
And when the cost of living is making life tougher for many, we need to stop the fraying of our health system. We need high quality education and to take politics out of the classroom. We need to tackle crime and ensure people are safe to go about their lives. We need a circuit breaker and it can start here in Prahran.
So I am reaching out for support from Labor-leaning residents, from people dissatisfied with the dysfunctional amateur-hour that is the Victorian Liberals, and the many people disillusioned with the way the Greens have descended into extremism and stoking division.
Social division is worse than it has been in peoples’ memories. Friday’s shocking firebombing of a local synagogue has come on top of Jewish businesses being blockaded and boycotted, schools vandalised, open displays of support for terror organisations and people being harassed and intimidated.
This is felt most directly by the Jewish community but it affects everyone. MP’s offices have been targeted. War memorials have been vandalised. The Christmas windows opening was sabotaged.
All this degrades our state and our country.
We have every reason to be outraged that our politics has played its part in this appalling situation.
Empty words of condemnation from leaders aren’t good enough. Moral clarity and strength of leadership is needed. The laws need to be enforced now. We can send a strong message that enough is enough.
We need a genuine strategy to tackle antisemitism and Canberra seems unable to act, so I am calling for a parliamentary inquiry into antisemitism here in Victoria to hear the community’s views about what needs to be done and to speedily act to change this alarming trajectory. If the government won’t establish such an inquiry I will conduct one myself.
This by-election won’t change the government, but it shouldn’t reward the other parties when they haven’t earned your trust.
The Victorian Liberals are constantly fighting themselves and undermining their leader who is hanging on by his fingernails.
The Greens support for extremism has been shocking to see and many of their members and supporters are rightly deserting them.
So this by-election is an opportunity to send them all a message that we want to do things differently. Not to buy what the political parties are selling, but getting people working with people for the people, across community groups and organisations, to build the support needed to change the political dynamic.
Without the constraints imposed by party room decisions, the people of Prahran will be assured I will advocate for them and keep advocating for them, every issue, every time.
I’m looking forward to taking this positive message to the people of Prahran over the course of this campaign and beyond and I’m asking the people of Prahran District to take this journey together.