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Vic Labor's hope for Northcote by-election

Premier Daniel Andrews has visited the home of Labor's candidate for the Northcote by-election, proud environmentalist and vegan Clare Burns.

DANIEL ANDREWS STAMP DUTY PRESSER
Daniel Andrews has visited the home of Claire Burns, Labor candidate for the Northcote by-election. (AAP)

Labor's candidate for the by-election of inner-Melbourne's Northcote electorate has spruiked the state government's housing policies despite admitting she is priced out of her local market.

Clare Burns, who is a renter at Northcote, took the premier through her home on Wednesday before he championed the success of his government's first home buyer's stamp duty cuts and reforms for renters.

The cuts apply to homes valued below $600,000.

Ms Burns - a proud environmentalist and vegan, who wears only second hand clothing - said people in Northcote are talking about the rental reforms more than anything else.

The government is giving people a "fair crack at finding a home", but as a young professional, even she is "priced out" of Northcote.

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The suburb's median price for a house is $1.3 million and $635,520 for a unit, according to Real Estate Institute of Victoria data.

The Greens, with candidate Lidia Thorpe, are expected to hotly contest the seat after eating away at the ALP's inner-Melbourne vote.

Mr Andrews said the alternative to voting for Ms Burns is just someone sitting on the sidelines "having lots to say but never being able to provide a voice".

Twelve candidates will contest the November 18 poll, but there won't be Liberal representative on the ticket, the Victorian Electoral Commission confirmed.

The seat has been held by Labor since it was formed in 1927.

The by-election was prompted by the cancer death of Labor's Fiona Richardson in August, who held the seat since 2006.


2 min read

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Source: AAP



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