By Mikayla van Loon
Current Croydon Liberal MP David Hodgett will be defending his seat at the upcoming State election in November with a focus on education, sporting clubs, healthcare and small business.
Mr Hodgett held the seat of the former Kilsyth district between 2006 and 2014 before the suburbs of Kilsyth and parts of Mooroolbark were merged to form Croydon, which he has held since 2014.
“I am a local candidate who is passionate about improving the lives of the residents in my electorate. My knowledge of the electorate means that I am across all the issues, from schools to parks and everything in between,” he said.
As shadow education minister, Mr Hodgett said he’d like the “opportunity to improve the quality of education in Victoria” but locally the biggest challenge he sees facing his electorate is development.
“[There’s been a] lack of consultation in building projects that affect the residents in my electorate, such as the level crossing removal, and the proposed massive overdevelopment of Croydon Central,” he said.
Representing the district throughout the pandemic, Mr Hodgett said making sure Croydon was at the forefront of decision making in the future was an important aspect of his campaign and one of his desired achievements if re-elected.
“Our electorate really suffered during the lockdowns and demand for assistance skyrocketed,” he said.
“The government made decisions without considering the impact it was making on this electorate, for example, we had many businesses close, mental health services were overrun and children were adversely affected from school lockdowns and mask mandates.”
Having outlined a plan for the Croydon electorate, Mr Hodgett said he is committed to upgrading and improving services and facilities within the area.
“I believe the Liberal Party has a suite of policies that will help with the cost of living, fix the healthcare crisis, improve learning outcomes at school and ensure people’s lives will be better off over the next four years.”
As someone who has lived with his family in the eastern suburbs for over 30 years, Mr Hodgett said there are so many elements that make his electorate a great place to live.
“I just love the people, the sense of community and the leafy suburbs of the outer east.
“We have gorgeous parks, walking and cycling tracks, but also a wide range of facilities and sporting clubs, cafes, restaurants and schools for residents to enjoy.”
