Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro Fiona Kotvojs has predicted a tight result in today's by-election as final votes are cast at polling booths across the electorate.
Key points:
- Both major candidates referred to the need for "rebuilding" the electorate as they made their final pitch to voters
- People in Eden-Monaro have experienced bushfires, floods and and COVID-19 over the last six months
- The Eden-Monaro by-election is likely to be won by preferences as Labor holds it by just 0.9 per cent
The by-election, triggered by the resignation of long-serving Labor MP Mike Kelly, covers a large area in southern New South Wales — hard hit by the summer bushfires.
There are 14 candidates running for the seat, including Queanbeyan councillor Trevor Hicks who is running for the Nationals.
The Greens and Shooters Fishers and Farmers are also fielding candidates.
As they cast their votes today, both Ms Kotvojs and her Labor opponent, former Bega mayor Kristy McBain, referred to the extreme conditions suffered across Eden-Monaro.
Ms Kotvojs, a South Coast farmer, said "rebuilding the electorate" was the key issue, as she voted at Jerrabomberra Public School in Queanbeyan.
"It is an important choice; we've gone through a really tough six months in this electorate. We've had the fires, floods, drought and COVID-19," she said.
"What we need is to be able to rebuild our electorate — so people need to think about which of the candidates is able to be a strong voice in government to deliver, which of the candidates brings a breadth of skills to be able to deliver to this diverse electorate.
Ms McBain spoke to the media alongside Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese after casting her vote at Merimbula Public School, which she attended as a child and is now her children's school.
She had decided to run as a candidate because the community was in desperate need after suffering from drought, the bushfires and now the economic downturn caused by COVID-19, she said.
"Yesterday I was at Wandella which is West of Cobargo with Graham and Robin," Ms McBain said.
"They lost their home in the bushfires — six months on they are living in a caravan on their property and are going through the process of recovery and rebuild.
"Today is a chance to send the Government a message that six months on from bushfire we shouldn't still be waiting for assistance."
The result of the by-election is now considered unpredictable in what used to be a predictable "bellwether" seat.
For 17 consecutive elections, Eden-Monaro voted with the party who won government.
But since Mike Kelly won the seat back for Labor while the Coalition won the election in 2016, it has become very marginal.
It is currently held by Labor by just 0.9 per cent, and is very likely to be won on preferences.
Whatever the result, one woman who voted for Ms Kotvojs said the prospect of electing a woman to represent Eden-Monaro for the first time was wonderful.
"We can solve a lot of problems," she said.
"We need to recover, we need to recover well, roads, the firefighting equipment, and the people who lost their houses — we do need help."
Another woman said she was worried about employment, education and a lack of specialised health care in the region.
She voted for Ms McBain and described her as a "hard worker".
"She has just done astronomical work in things that we've gone through with the fires and COVID," she said.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA3LTA0L2Nsb3NlLXJlc3VsdC1wcmVkaWN0ZWQtZWRlbi1tb25hcm8tYnktZWxlY3Rpb24tbnN3LzEyNDIyNzM20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyNDIyNzM2?oc=5
2020-07-04 07:14:35Z
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