There are going to be some shocks in the Ballarat electorate on May 18, predicts Daylesford-man Alex Graham, who is standing for election as an independent candidate.
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Or rather, as he prefers to put it - an "interdependent candidate", which he explains in his promotional brochure as "a person who recognises that all humanity is interdependent on each other and our shared local/ global environment."
Mr Graham campaigned under the same banner in the 1996 federal election when he gathered a total of 170 votes, and hasn't joined the electioneering fray since. So what prompted 70-year-old Mr Graham - who worked as a builder and in mining and oil exploration both in Australia and overseas - to make a political comeback in 2019, The Courier wonders?
"Because I wrote a book last year," he replied.
So is all this campaigning just a publicity exercise?
"Not really," he said. "I've joined the campaign to create sustainable economic development in the Ballarat community."
He expanded a bit, saying: "I think there are some wonderful people out there. Catherine King is one of those - trying to do a magnificent job - and I say what fails them is economic modelling, every time."
I spent the rest of the time faxing world leaders. Even got into the Kremlin to Boris Yeltsin - and I said 'You know, you want democracy, here's a model that will give it to you. Cause what we've got at the moment won't.'
- Alex Graham, independent candidate for Ballarat
Mr Graham says his book and economic model - called Spiritual-Busyness - offers an alternative to people disillusioned by the political process and beyond.
"Also the disillusion with life, the pain and suffering of economic modelling," he said. "You know, it's just become so clear to me what happens in society, we have so much homelessness - it's all about economic modelling."
So was it worth stumping up the cash to stand for election?
"It's really a heartfelt thing," he said. "I don't really care about the money. I have to do it. My publisher said 'this book is going to go viral'.
"I said in my book, 'If Donald Trump had this model, he would be able to make the world great.' It's not just America, it's endemic all over our world."
Mr Graham said he was approaching this election in a different way to 1996, when he said the only campaigning he did was on election day.
"I spent the rest of the time faxing world leaders," he told The Courier. "Even got into the Kremlin to Boris Yeltsin - and I said 'You know, you want democracy, here's a model that will give it to you. Cause what we've got at the moment won't.'"
When asked if there were any other issues he would like to raise on behalf of the people of Ballarat he said: "Sure. I make a device called a water transformer. What it does to water is just out of this world - it restores its energy and vitality.
It's not a filter, it's a water transformer, it's a frequency generator. I have a friend here in Australia - the technology belongs to him, and I just happen to make it. There is no pollution on our planet that he can't transform - and all with frequency generators.
- Alex Graham
"It's not a filter, it's a water transformer, it's a frequency generator. I have a friend here in Australia - the technology belongs to him, and I just happen to make it.
"There is no pollution on our planet that he can't transform - and all with frequency generators."
This time round, he said he was really enjoying the election process. "I find it really stimulating. The response I am getting from people - they are so over politics".
"So many people are disillusioned. We need something new, we need something different. I am writing a letter to Bill Shorten as we speak."
He said his campaigning is "getting a magnificent response" and has high hopes for the result on May 18.
"I want the seat. Damn right."
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