TWO lawyers, a single mother and an executive director will vie for the safe Labor seat of Scullin in the Federal election.
The Liberal party’s administrative committee last week selected lawyer Jag Chugha to stand against Labor’s Andrew Giles, also a lawyer, while the Greens have put forward single mother and small business owner Rose Ljubicic. Independent federal MP Bob Katter’s Australia Party have put forward Dominic Greco, the Convenience and Mixed Business Association’s executive director.
Scullin has been held by retiring Labor veteran Harry Jenkins since 1986, and the seat was held by Mr Jenkins’ father, Harry Jenkins snr, since it was created in 1969.
Mr Chugha needs a swing of more than 20 per cent to win the seat.
A redistribution of the seat has caused the electorate to lose areas to the south, while expanding to the north and east, reducing the ALP margin from 22.3 to 20.3 per cent.
Mr Chugha, 35, who has lived in Thomastown most of his life and attended Thomastown Meadows Primary School and Merrilands Secondary College, is a practising lawyer in the corporate sector.
Liberal spokesman Andrew Cox, said Mr Chugha was a father of young children and “knows first-hand the … everyday cost of living expenses”.
“Being a resident of Scullin, Jag has an excellent understanding of the local issues and community needs.”
Greens candidate Ms Ljubicic said she was “outraged” by continued government neglect of single parents”.
Labor’s Mr Giles is a lawyer at Slater and Gordon and a former senior adviser to state MPs Lily D’Ambrosio and Gavin Jennings.
