Former state Labor MP for Melbourne Jennifer Kanis is trying to recapture the seat she lost to the Greens in the 2014 election. Ms Kanis announced to local party members on Monday that she was seeking pre-selection to contest the seat taken by the Greens' Ellen Sandell three years ago in a historic breakthrough for the minor party. Ms Sandell managed a 3.95 per cent swing against her Labor opponent, despite being preferenced last by the Liberals, but the Greens still only hold Melbourne by a thin 2.4 per cent margin. Ms Kanis, who now works at law firm Maurice Blackburn, told pre-selectors she believed the Greens had failed to make an impression, despite the gains they made in 2014. "Unfortunately a politician who is content just commenting from the sidelines now represents Melbourne," Ms Kanis wrote in her pitch to Labor members. "The Greens Party have done nothing to deliver improved services for Melbourne or across Victoria. "They have been ineffective in making sure our concerns and aspirations are heard by the decision makers. "Melbourne deserves better." Ms Sandell said her party's strong presence in Parliament and working alongside the community had delivered a commitment for a school in the Docklands, stopped the East West Link toll road and "achieved action on renewable energy". "Having Greens in Parliament means Labor cannot ignore these important issues," she said. "I look forward to the campaign but I don't think the residents of Melbourne want to go back to being taken for granted by Labor." But Ms Kanis' pre-selection in the seat, which is controlled by her party's left faction, is not guaranteed. Former soldier and construction worker Daniel Cairnes is likely to enter the contest for the votes of about 400 ALP members living in the seat. Mr Cairnes is a co-founder of the Veterans in Construction initiative, which aims to get bring former sailors, soldiers and Air Force Personnel working in the building industry.

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