Perth Voice Interactive

Labor candidate Dan Caddy (right) is prepared to make big sacrifices to wrest the federal seat of Stirling from Liberal frontbencher Michael Keenan.

He is a single dad with a nine-year-old son and, if elected, will have to spend umpteen weeks in Canberra every year.

“My son’s old enough to Skype and his mother lives close by. It is a sacrifice, but I believe I can do the job and still be a great dad,” he says.

The 40-year-old needs a herculean 5.6 per cent swing to wrest the seat from Mr Keenan, 41, who’s held it nine years and turned it into a relatively safe seat.

Mr Caddy believes his chances of winning have improved following Kevin Rudd’s resurrection as Labor leader.

“Kevin Rudd connects with the people and is definitely a better communicator,” he says.

“I feel we’ve got some momentum going again and I can win the seat.”

He says he is keen on investing in education and in particular the government contributing to before- and after-school care.

“As a single dad I can relate to the pressures of being a working parent, so I feel it is really important,” he says.“Giving kids a good education will help safeguard the country’s future.”He says that Colin Barnett’s till-recent failure to sign-up to Labor’s Better Schools package was “political posturing” and could have led to WA kids being left behind.Mr Caddy, who has a BA in international studies and politics, joined the ALP 20 years ago and worked as an adviser to former WA senator Chris Evans. He is a member of the Left faction.“I’m a firm believer in candidates and MPs living in their electorate,” he says.“I stay in Joondanna and am entrenched in the local community.“Although, I will concede that I am a die-hard Fremantle Dockers fan.”Mr Caddy owns a small business specialising in corporate merchandise.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK