![Georgie Purcell is keen to see duck hunting banned in Victoria. For many years she has spent time rescuing birds from waterways during the season. Picture by Ash Smith. Georgie Purcell is keen to see duck hunting banned in Victoria. For many years she has spent time rescuing birds from waterways during the season. Picture by Ash Smith.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XJLgPnEdnKaFugZzKyL6Sw/40ab6300-4053-4f9c-805e-5301a567d20c.jpg/r0_0_6720_4137_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE first One Nation candidate to be elected in Victoria is among the five politicians who will represent the North East for the next four years.
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Ex-Tallangatta Valley farmer Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell won alongside fellow newcomers Gaelle Broad (Nationals) and Georgie Purcell (Animal Justice Party) and incumbents Wendy Lovell (Liberal) and Jaclyn Symes (Labor).
The results were announced on Wednesday following the state election on November 26, with existing MLCs Tim Quilty, of Wodonga, and Tania Maxwell, of Wangaratta, missing out.
Mrs Tyrrell spent her first 14 years in Wagga before moving to the NSW South Coast and then shifting to Tallangatta Valley in 2014.
She has lived at Invergordon, south of Cobram, since 2018 with her dairy farming husband Aaron and school-aged daughter and son.
Her interest in politics was aroused by seeing the impact of water policy and she joined One Nation, rather than another conservative party, because of its views on that issue.
Mrs Tyrrell wants Victoria to review its approach to the Murray-Darling Basin plan and have a carryover water system that advantages irrigators rather than investors.
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The Wiradjuri woman is the fifth Aboriginal MP to be elected to the Victorian parliament but she does not believe in an Indigenous Voice.
"I don't support the Voice because I think that's just creating more division," Mrs Tyrrell said.
She stood for One Nation in Yarrawonga's federal seat Nicholls in the 2019 and 2022 federal elections.
Ms Purcell is the second Animal Justice Party MP to enter state parliament, following Andy Meddick who lost his Western Victoria seat in this year's election.
![Newly elected MLC Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell with One Nation colleague and federal Upper House MP Senator Malcolm Roberts. Picture from Facebook. Newly elected MLC Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell with One Nation colleague and federal Upper House MP Senator Malcolm Roberts. Picture from Facebook.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/XJLgPnEdnKaFugZzKyL6Sw/0af6fd39-03b8-47ad-8583-9cd7a5a7fc02.jpg/r0_0_892_799_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A qualified lawyer, she had been chief-of-staff to Mr Meddick and has also worked as a union official and in communications.
Ms Purcell lives at Kyneton, south of Bendigo, and has a micro animal sanctuary with 17 sheep, originally orphaned lambs, four cats, four dogs, three horses and a donkey.
Her No.1 priority is to have Victoria ban duck shooting.
"It just seems so barbaric and outdated and it's quite shocking Victoria continues with it, even though it sees itself as a progressive state," Ms Purcell said.
She also wants jumps racing outlawed and end to brumby culls by shooting.
"We acknowledge they (brumbies) have an impact on the environment and plants but don't think that killing them is the solution or sustainable," Ms Purcell said.
She would like immunocontraception of brumbies to make them infertile.
New Nationals member Ms Broad hails from the Bendigo region and previously contested a Lower House seat in the city in the 2018 Victorian election.
"I've always had people over the years encouraging me to stand and I thought I would give it one last go and it's an honour to represent your local region and I'm excited," Ms Broad said.
She has previously hosted an ABC regional radio breakfast show and worked for MPs in the Victorian and federal parliament, including Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie.
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