The Labor, Liberal, Greens and One Nation candidates for the Victorian seat of Macedon took part in a meet-the-candidates forum at the Daylesford Town Hall on the evening of 5 November. Other independent and minor party candidates had the opportunity to present their campaign information and meet with the audience after the forum.
There are nine candidates for Macedon. The election will be held on Saturday 28 November.
- Annette Death (Labor). She is a former Macedon Ranges councillor and mayor. She previously worked in public policy at St Vincent’s Health. She lives in Riddells Creek.
- Kate Kendall (Liberal). She was Macedon Ranges mayor until she launched her campaign. She has founded several businesses, been president of Business Kyneton and worked in marketing in Melbourne.
- Damien Parolin (One Nation). He is a mechanic who works in construction and owns a small transport business. He has lived in the Macedon Ranges since 1994.
- Marley McRae McLeod (Greens). They are a mental health peer worker in a youth service and hold degrees in psychology and gender studies. They also ran for Macedon in 2022.
- Michael Seton (Independent). He is a retired superannuation executive with 35 years’ experience who previously ran the Australian Government Employees Superannuation Trust and Military Super, and then consulted across the industry until 2024.
- Dom Bonanno (Independent). He has spent almost 30 years in the technology industry, has been a Macedon Ranges councillor since 2020, and has been mayor. He was the Liberal candidate at the last state election.
- Catherine Wilson (Victorian Socialists). She is a teacher who has lived in the Macedon Ranges for 20 years, and is active in the Australian Education Union and a Socialists in Schools organising group.
- Natalie Korinfsky (Animal Justice). She is a social and youth worker who has worked with Macedon Ranges Shire Council and schools across the Loddon Campaspe region, and holds degrees in nature tourism, psychology and social work.
- Bernadette Mayne (Family First). No information is available. Family First is led by Moira Deeming in Victoria.
About 100 people attended the two-hour session. Last-minute plans to make the session available as a podcast had to be scrapped when the One Nation and Liberal candidates said they would withdraw if the forum was recorded.
Robyn Rogers chaired the forum and raised questions that had been submitted online through The Wombat Post. Candidates had the opportunity to present their case at the start of the meeting and to make a final pitch at the end. Audience members were also able to ask questions.
