Sonja Terpstra, the Labor MP for North Eastern Metropolitan Region in Victoria, has announced she will not stand for re-election just 50 days before the state election. Her decision comes after controversial comments she made about potholes being beneficial to local residents because they deter traffic, which drew criticism from opposition and community members. Terpstra's announcement was unexpected given that a recent article suggested her intention to run again, though she clarified this as a misunderstanding.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Less than 50 days out from the state election, Sonja Terpstra, the Labor MP for the North Eastern Metropolitan Region, has pulled the pin on her political career.
asserted
Terpstra → pull → career
Terpstra, of course, infamously and bizarrely endorsed Victoria’s rampant plague of potholes during a debate in the upper house in July.
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Terpstra → endorse → July
At the time, she told parliament residents did not want a Banyule Council road in Melbourne’s north-east resurfaced, claiming they “like it full of potholes” because the crumbling road acted as a deterrent to drivers to use it.
“For local residential streets, in fact, I drove over a road today that was a Banyule Council road, and it was probably one of the worst roads I had ever experienced,” Terpstra said at the time.
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Terpstra → tell → time
“Funnily enough, in regard to that road, it is the residents who do not want it resealed, because they do not like traffic going down it, so they are quite happy to have it full of potholes, might I add.”
uncertain
I → want → potholes
The opposition’s spokeswoman for local government, Bev McArthur, hit back, saying people didn’t want excuses, but rather roads that were safe to drive on.
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that → hit → excuses
Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien said Terpstra’s comments were “out of touch”.
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comments → say → touch
Potholes did not get a mention in Terpstra’s expansive social media post on Monday in which she revealed she would not stand for re-election and thanked her constituents, the union movement, Premier Ben Carroll and former premiers Dan Andrews and Jacinta Allan, and referenced her advocacy for public education and the influence of women in parliament.
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she → get → parliament
Interestingly, it was only last month that an article in the Lilydale Star Mail reported Terpstra intended to run again.
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Terpstra → report → Mail
She told CBD on Monday the story was a miscommunication and not a sign of an about-face.
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story → tell → face
The temperature was rising and anticipation was on the boil on Monday afternoon as the crème de la crème of Victoria’s restaurant scene assembled at The Timber Yard, a rustic space in a gentrifying segment of Port Melbourne’s industrial heart, for the prestigious Good Food Guide Awards.
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crème → rise → Awards
As gin martinis flowed and the more than 500 guests including chefs and business owners, along with a sprinkling of highly enthusiastic influencers mingled, CBD spotted Nat Thaipun – former MasterChef winner and author of the cookbook Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere.
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CBD → flow → cookbook
It was a little over a week ago that she completed the endurance test.
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she → complete → test
“I like running,” Thaipun quipped.
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Thaipun → run → ?
“It was along the Great Ocean Road; it is called the Surf Coast Century.
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it → call → Road
“And then we’re moving to London for a bit,” she said.
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she → move → bit
Winning and maintaining a hat or hats is the name of the game, and while much intrigue surrounds those who regrettably shed a hat, those attending seemed intent on having an old-fashioned good time.
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those → win → time
“It’s the best night of the year,” Tina Ezard said, while chatting with PR dynamo Joanna Reymond-Burns.
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Ezard → ’ → Burns
Rosheen Kaul, of Fitzroy bistro Little Rose, said the occasion was a chance to dress up and let her hair down “a little bit”.
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hair → say → Rose
The bonus, she added, was “you see legends all around”.
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you → add → legends
“Having every single person in the industry in the room and just catching up with everyone is really wonderful,” said Kaul.
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Kaul → have → everyone
“You get to see everybody that you love and respect.
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you → get → that
”
Shannon Martinez, acclaimed chef and Smith + Daughters founder, said the hospitality industry was rare in that it celebrated everyone’s success.
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it → say → success
“As anyone in the hospitality industry knows, we are notorious for working our absolute arses off, so it’s almost only once a year that we all take a night off and get to be together,” she told us.
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she → know → us
“I think it’s really important for the community, for our industry, to show support for each other and I don’t think a hat is as much a competition as a celebration for everybody.
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hat → think → everybody
“I know that when you hear the roar, the applause, when someone wins a hat, you know that we are not competing, we’re really proud of each other for taking that step.”
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we → know → step
In CBD’s experience, Hollywood stars keep a low profile when they hit town – but not Jamie Foxx.
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they → keep → town
The Oscar-winner – he collected a best actor gong for playing Ray Charles in the film Ray in 2004 – has been Mr Obvious since he arrived in Melbourne last month to take the lead role in the movie Deadlocked.
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he → collect → movie
The movie is filming in the Docklands at the former NAB precinct this week and is hard to miss, with the location doubling for a New York courthouse.
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location → film → courthouse
Foxx is living well while here, residing at Antony Catalano’s St Kilda penthouse in the Saint Moritz development.
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Foxx → live → development
The apartment, which according to the Financial Review is on the luxury rental market for $9000 a night, was easily identifiable in clips Foxx posted to his Instagram account last week.
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Foxx → accord → account
He has also been taking in the bay on a luxury boat – again splashing his good life over his social media – and playing pickleball.
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He → take → pickleball
If you spot the Oscar winner, let us know.
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us → spot → winner
The Aporia
