By Paul Dunlop
VOTERS will choose from a full suite of political candidates doing battle for the local seats of Bass and Gembrook.
Seven candidates will vie for election in Gembrook with another six contesting Bass.
Nominations closed last week, with the Greens getting an early boost by picking up the allimportant number one spot on the ballot paper in both seats.
The candidates for Bass in ballot order are:
Tully Fletcher (Greens)
Ken Smith (Liberal)
Cameron Begg (Family First)
John Anderson (ALP)
Cheryl BillingSmith (Independent)
Jacky Abbott (The Nationals).
The candidates for Gembrook in ballot order are:
Gordon Watson (Greens)
Robyn Allcock (People Power)
Simon Wildes (Liberal)
Frank Dean (Independent)
Tammy Lobato (ALP)
Peter McConachy (The Nationals)
Mr Smith and Ms Lobato both face fierce contests to retain their seats. Gembrook and Bass are two of the likely hotspots in the campaign, with opinion divided as to who will win.
Mr Smith holds Bass by a margin of 0.65 per cent while Ms Lobato has a buffer of just 1.59 per cent.
The Bass electorate takes in most of Pakenham as well as the towns of Bunyip, Kooweerup, Nar Nar Goon and Lang Lang.
Gembrook includes the towns of Cockatoo, Gembrook and Emerald as well as parts of Pakenham, Officer, Berwick and Beaconsfield.
The candidates for the nearby seat of Narre Warren North in ballot order are:
Bree Taylor (Greens)
Peterine Smulders (Family First)
Mick Morland (Liberal)
Luke Donnellan (ALP)
Ian Murphy (People Power).
Voters go to the polls on 25 November.
