Liberal candidate Craig Kelly and wife Vicki cast their vote at Nuwarra Public School, Moorebank. Pic Jane Dempster
HAD the Liverpool candidates in the seat of Hughes read the mood or just the newspapers?
The latest Newspoll out today had Labor ahead by a tiny lead of 50.2 per cent to the Coalition’s 49.8 per cent.
In the marginal seat of Hughes, narrowly held by the Liberals retiring Danna Vale, this is likely to translate into more votes for the Liberals and less for Labor.
When Liberal candidate Craig Kelly arrived in an open-necked blue chambray shirt at Nuwarra Primary School, Moorebank, to vote at 11.15am he looked relaxed and casual.
Accompanied by his wife Vicki, daughter Tara, and the family dog Max, he shook hands with waiting voters and worked the crowd as he stood in a line to vote that took nearly 40 minutes to snake its way past the sausage sizzle into the voting booth.
``I’ve had a really good feeling at the gates as I’ve gone around the booths this morning,’’ Mr Kelly said.
``I put it down to our positive campaign, we’ve made no personal attacks, we’ve relied on our plans,’’ he said.
This didn’t seem to match the commentary on Opposition leader Tony Abbott who’s been accused of being negative, particularly in the last 24 hours.
But Mr Kelly defended his leader and choice of words.
He’s expecting it to be a long night though.
``It will go down to the wire,’’ he said, repeating a now well worn phrase.
``We may not even have a decision tonight,’’ he said.
As he left the polling booth Susan Roberts, Green candidate for Hughes came up and shook his hand.
Like other poll booth workers, she was braving the wind to take one last chance to persuade the undecided.
``I’m sensing there’s strong support for the Greens, there’s strong local reaction here against the intermodal,’’ Ms Roberts said.
When be-suited Labor candidate Brent Thomas arrived at 1pm, the crowds were thinner and he was far more cautious than his Liberal opponent.
``It’s hard to read, since you really only get to talk to such a small sample but we’re getting a warm response,’’ Mr Thomas said.
``But I continue to think its going to be difficult to win.’‘
While Mr Thomas is personally opposed to the intermodal, it is identified as Labor’s project and the Liberal party members handing out how to vote cards were capitalising on this.
``Vote Liberal against Labor’s intermodal,’’ they said as voters entered the gates.
``It’s a long day but its good to meet people just before they vote because they do say some people make up their minds just before they vote,’’ Mr Thomas said.
While it is likely to take a long time before we know the result for Hughes, by lunchtime there was a definite winner, the school.
Its sausage sizzle had already sold out.
``We ran out at 12 noon and made $400,’’ Principal Diane O’Connor, said.
Source: whereilive
0 comments:
Post a Comment