Ricky Muir, Victorian Senate candidate from Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, goes to ground

Updated

He could play a key part in Australia's next Senate, but little is known about the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's Victorian candidate Ricky Muir.

Despite receiving just 11,390 first preferences or 0.52 per cent of the vote, Mr Muir could be elected because of preference deals in place between the minor parties.

Mr Muir is a resident of Denison, about 200 kilometres east of Melbourne, but further information about him has been hard to come by.

Calls to the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party's head office and leadership team have not been returned, while calls to Mr Muir's house have gone unanswered.

When an ABC reporter visited Mr Muir's house today, she was told he was not home but was not given further information about his whereabouts.

The ABC has spoken to a number of local councillors and car enthusiasts in the area, but none of them know of Mr Muir.

The only trace of him since the election is a post on the party's official Facebook page made today:

Great news for the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party... At this point the final count has not been completed, but our Victorian Senate candidate, Ricky Muir is in the running to win the final Victorian seat. Ultimately we have achieved our original goal of uniting the motoring community, and should Ricky be declared the winner at the end of the final count, he will certainly do us proud.

Mr Muir's Facebook page shows the father of five has a keen interest in four-wheel driving.

He is a member of groups such as Aussie 4WD Video, Gippsland Dragway, LandCruiser Owners and Gippsland Permaculture.

The ABC has also seen comments made by Mr Muir on his Facebook timeline over the past few years that have today been taken down:

"Media is reporting that the person who orfered (sic) the 911 terror attacks is dead... what a load of shit, George Bush is still alive!"

Mr Muir had also posted a number of videos on YouTube but they have been made private since the election.

In one of them, he is seen mucking around with friends and family as they try to fling kangaroo faeces at each other.

On his official party social media page, he says he stands for the rights of motoring enthusiasts:

We are the only species on the planet who are forced to pay to exist. I think it is fair to say we should have the right to enjoy our existence with minimal government interference. We are not here to just pay taxes and raise revenue. We have the RIGHT to express our individuality and freedom. Let's get a voice in the Senate..... I am a Motoring Enthusiast and PROUD! We support a balanced approach towards sustainability of the environment and the use of the environment, both for the survival of mankind and for the unimpeded recreational use of the environment.

A spokesman for the Australian Electoral Commission says the last contact they would have had with Mr Muir was when he registered.

Topics: elections, government-and-politics, federal-parliament, federal-elections, heyfield-3858, vic, australia

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