Mildura MP joins Patten’s party, hopes for movement on the station

By Noel Towell
Photo by Paul Jeffers

They might look like a political odd couple; independent MP Ali Cupper from far-flung Mildura and the Reason Party’s uber-urban leader Fiona Patten.

But the two state MPs say the deal they have struck, for Ms Cupper to join Reason as the minor party’s deputy leader, will pay off for both town and country…

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“The loss of our passenger train is not only a huge practical inconvenience for us of course, but the consequence of that have made us more Adelaide-facing than Melbourne facing,” Ms Cupper told The Age.

“The train issue, on top of the practical problems, has huge emotional significance.

“When the train was taken away, that’s when we felt that we ceased to be Victorians, when we stopped being part of the state.”

Ms Patten, who is right behind the push for the train to be restored, said a win on the issue would demonstrate why the new political alliance between the two women was less odd than it might appear

“It’s almost a beautiful analogy, of the joining of Mildura and Melbourne and of Ali and myself joining forces,” the party leader said.

“Hopefully that’s what we can do in partnership – bring that train back – but also recognise that Mildura is a modern city, that is sometimes seen as this far away little place but which is a modern city with the same modern issues as everywhere else.”

Read the full article on The Age’s website.