Labor picks Ollie Young for Benambra seat in tough Victorian election fight
Labor has named Ollie Young, who manages the family's pickleball centre, as its candidate for the regional Victorian seat of Benambra.
Ollie Young will represent Labor in Benambra, the North East seat stretching across Wodonga, Indigo and Towong. Young lives in Rutherglen and manages the Sneaky Cat Pickleball centre in Thurgoona near Albury Airport, which his mother Jenelle opened in May 2025.
Young uses his family's small business experience to appeal to regional operators facing financial pressure. Young pledged to fight for roads, hospitals, safety and local jobs, highlighting Labor's road repair program and nursing investments.
He also promised to cap public transport fares at 30 dollars a week and slash emergency department wait times by up to 20 per cent. However, Labor faces long odds in the seat: Sportsbet rates them at $34, far behind the Liberal Party at $1.72.
The Liberals have held the seat since 1976.
- Ollie Young
- Candidate
- Benambra, North East Victoria
- Seat location
- 1976
- Liberals held seat since
- May 2025
- Pickleball venue opened
Why it mattersLabor's selection of Young shows the party's strategy to win regional seats by connecting with small business owners, though heavy betting odds suggest the seat remains strongly Liberal.
AustraliaBenambra voters in North East Victoria will decide whether to continue Liberal control or shift to Labor; the result could affect regional healthcare and transport policy.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
