‘I am hungry’: Pesutto tipped for frontbench return

Last week, we heard from voters in Sydenham, a once safe Labor seat that formed part of the ‘red wall’ of outer-suburban Melbourne electorates.

After years leaning left, voters told investigative reporter Liam Mannix they feel increasingly ignored by the government, with infrastructure, roads and hospital wait times proving to be major issues.

In Ringwood, another seat currently held by Labor, the attack from the Liberals and a number of minor party and independent candidates is well and truly under way.

Reporter Bridget McArthur last week took us inside a lively candidate’s forum where the Family First candidate for the seat was sidelined by a colleague who insisted he speak on her behalf. We also heard from locals that some of the main concerns going into this election are potholes, affordable housing and crime.

Welcome back to week 2 of our hot seats election coverage, where we’re taking a hyper local look at the burning issues in the electorates of Shepparton, Ringwood, Sydenham and Hawthorn in the lead up to polling day on November 28.

In case you missed it, here’s everything we covered in Week 1.

Hawthorn MP John Pesutto could return to cabinet if the Liberals win the upcoming state election, with the prized Treasury portfolio potentially being set aside for him after the first post-election budget.

Four opposition sources, speaking to The Age on the condition of anonymity to discuss post-election plans, said the former party leader is being pushed internally for the role that would see him elevated to the frontbench within months if the Coalition win office.

“He is a talent and has a policy mind, and that is what we will need if we win,” one Liberal MP told The Age.