While Dutton and Albanese spent the weekend criss-crossing the country, Julian Hill spent it criss-crossing Bruce.
It was a jam-packed Saturday for the Labor candidate and MP, who started with an Easter egg hunt in Dandenong, then whizzed to a Sri Lankan community event before we met up in Hampton Park for some community football.
Labor’s Julian Hill (seventh from right) with the Doveton Football Club on Saturday.Credit: Charlotte Grieve
It was Doves versus Redbacks, and Hill, a loyal Doves supporter, dodged a photo with the winning team, the Redbacks from Hampton Park, which just happens to be outside of his electorate. “I’m Doveton all the way!”
Also in tow was Casey Mayor Stefan Koomen, who was in a precarious position as his council area spans both teams. “I’m considering getting a scarf of both teams knitted together,” he said, smiling but serious.
Hill spoke with locals about AFL history, and caught up with Doveton Soccer Club president Daniel McMinimee – whose club benefited recently from about $200,000 in federal funding to upgrade facilities.
“First time we’ve had lights on our ground since it’s been built,” he said. “I’m a fan of Julian’s.”
Hill with Dusty the puppy ridgeback.Credit: Charlotte Grieve
Hill says political comments don’t go down well on weekends, but he makes one “evidence-based” exception: “Basically for 10 years, the whole city of greater Dandenong got literally nothing from the feds, literally nothing, because every grants program was pork-barrelled and rorted.”
Hill points to $7.5 million given to Doveton pool by the current government, which was allocated after he encouraged the community to make a grant application with a business case. “I haven’t delivered everything the community wants, but I can say we’ve delivered programs, everything according to need.”
After a quick pat with Dusty the puppy ridgeback, and pop into the changerooms for a photo with the Doveton players, he’s back on the road.
Bruce voter Bahanita Danish plans to vote for the Liberal candidate Zahid Safi.Credit: Charlotte Grieve
Next stop is a 10-minute drive away.
The stubbie-holders and sausages are replaced by charcoal-grilled meats and hennaed hands at the Narwoz festival, also known as the Afghan new year, held in a Hallam park.
Hill was asked to make a speech at the last minute so took a seat and started tapping away at his phone. Politicians of all persuasions sat in the front row, including Victorian Liberal MP Ann-Marie Hermans, state Labor MP Lee Tarlamis and Greens candidate for Bruce Rhonda Garad.
“It must be election year, with all the politicians here,” the MC told the crowd.
In his speech, Hill said Narwoz was an ancient celebration and time for renewal.
“Narwoz mubarak everyone!” he said. “Eid mubarak to our Muslim brothers and sisters!”
Hill praised Australia’s democracy and said the upcoming federal election was a reminder of “how lucky we are to live in a democracy where we do have the great privilege to vote and choose our governments.
“The majority of people in the world do not,” he said.
“I get asked this in my role – what’s an Australian? An Australian, to me, is anyone committed to our country and to the principle of mutual respect for their fellow Australians.
“When you come to this country, no one expects you to leave your culture at the door. Quite the opposite. Australia encourages people to celebrate their culture, to cherish the traditions and pass them onto their kids.
“While we can celebrate our freedom, spare a thought for the people in Afghanistan right now where Narwoz is banned. And the women and girls who are not even allowed to show their faces or be seen in society.”
Bruce is home to Victoria’s largest Afghan community, and will be an influential voter base this election.
Afghan-born Liberal candidate Zahid Safi could not be seen at the event. Victorian Liberal Opposition Leader Brad Battin was the party’s representative on the speaker list.
“Julian, we keep meeting at events. It’s good to see you here again. It’s great to be out with you,” Battin told the crowd, before praising the event and community.
“We get to have events like this, where people from all colours of our persuasion in our democracy come here together.”
Sitting next to me in the crowd was Pashto teacher Bahanita Danish. She said Safi might be nervous to attend after being heckled earlier in the week at the Doveton mosque. Danish will be voting for Safi this election, she said, after he visited her school in recent months.
“He’s very kind,” she said. “I think change is coming.”
Elsewhere in the crowd, a young man named Ahmed Ahmedi said “for now” he will vote Labor over what he said was a better record on immigration. “Because it’s good for people from overseas,” he said. “Good for immigration.”
But he said he had to learn more, as there was a bad “court decision” that he had heard about, but could not elaborate further.
Labor’s response to the High Court ruling that found indefinite detention was illegal, including fewer rights for detainees and tougher deportation laws, has been criticised by human rights groups as draconian.
Saturday on the hustings wouldn’t be complete without a baby’s head being kissed. Hill was chatting to a young mother on the sidelines of the cultural event, who excitedly passed her baby to the politician for a cuddle.
“I love babies,” he said, to smiles all around. “She’s so cute.”
Julian Hill and baby on Saturday. Credit: Charlotte Grieve