Like the rooster heralding the dawn or the cry of ‘bowler’s name?’ signalling the start of summer, the rising of the corflutes is the unofficial starting gun of an election campaign.
And they are up.
Signs for Nationals candidate Kim O’Keeffe and Liberal candidate Cheryl Hammer have appeared in Shepparton, notably on the corner of Sobraon St and Wyndham St where dozens were put up ahead of May’s Federal Election.
Cheryl has picked the astute tagline of #HammerTime, which is about as close to a gimme lay-up as you could ask for in a name-tagline combination.
The green sign for candidate Kim isn’t adorned with a slogan, just a piercing gaze that stared straight into Oddie’s soul and made him question the very nature of existence.
There were no signs for sitting member Suzanna Sheed ... at least not yet.
Is it Matt or Matthew?
New Victorian Opposition leader Matt Guy was in Shepparton on Tuesday, his first visit since replacing previous leader Matthew Guy in a bloodless coup last week.
(By bloodless coup we mean he changed his name on social media and in press releases, for those who missed it last week.)
However, Oddie popped up to rub shoulders with Matt Guy and some political bigwigs at GV Health on Tuesday, only to watch from the back of the pack as everyone called him “Matthew”, including the political candidates he was standing next to.
Is it Matt or Matthew? At this stage, Oddie may never find out.