Rivals on the same team

Albany’s deputy mayor Greg Stocks was endorsed last Saturday night to run No.2 on the Liberal Party’s Upper House ticket for the South West Region ahead of next year’s State election. If elected, Cr Stocks will represent constituents throughout the South West electoral region, which stretches from Albany through to Mandurah. Cr Stocks’ candidacy will put the aspiring MLC in an interesting position within the City of Albany council chambers. The deputy mayor said he would be launching a “two-pronged” attack with yet-to-be endorsed Liberal candidate Scott Leary in his bid to win the seat of Albany in the Legislative Assembly. Mr Leary will be running against Cr Stocks’ fellow Frederickstown ward councillor Rebecca Stephens, who is Labor’s endorsed candidate for Albany. Crs Stocks and Stephens sit next to each other during council meetings. “I thought I had the best credentials to convince the Liberal Party to end up on the MLC ticket and if we could find another good (Albany-based) candidate, given we thought Peter Watson was probably retiring, we’d make it a two-pronged attack,” Cr Stocks said. “I guess it worked, because I’ve landed No.2 on the ticket which is very winnable and we’ve got a great candidate in Scott Leary, who is yet to be endorsed. “My role in the lead up to the election will not be restricted just to Albany but I’ll certainly be heavily involved in the Albany election.” The Liberal Party’s disastrous 2017 State election campaign led to them winning only one seat in the South West region. It was the first time in the electoral region’s history that the party won less than two seats in the Legislative Council. With 25 years of business experience behind him, Cr Stocks said it was the “logical conclusion” he would end up on the Liberal Party’s ticket. The values of enterprise, freedom of the individual and reward for effort were what drew him to the party. The Albany councillor will run on the Liberal Party ticket behind Steve Thomas MLC. In 2017, Cr Stocks ran an unsuccessful campaign with the Liberal Party for the Lower House seat of Albany.