14 May 2019

Page 5

FEDERAL ELECTION 2019

Shire’s bid to benefit from political fray Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is calling on all Flinders electorate candidates in Saturday’s federal election to commit to spending more money in the shire. The mayor Cr David Gill says the electorate will benefit if Flinders is seen as a swinging seat. He says the peninsula has suffered because the seat has been regarded for years as “safe” for the Liberal Party, and consequently ignored by all political parties. The shire’s involvement in the election (including a full page advertisement in this issue of The News) comes at the same time as a phone poll of 440 voters indicating that Liberal MP Greg Hunt is likely to retain the seat he has held since 2001. Mr Hunt holds the seat with a margin of more than seven per cent, but the poll taken earlier this month shows this may be cut to as low as four per cent. Online betting companies have Mr Hunt as the clear favourite to win, but punters are giving the Coalition little chance of regaining government. The seeming infallibility of the Liberals on the peninsula changed last November when state Labor won the electorate of Nepean, which forms part of the much larger federal seat of Flinders. The state seats of Mornington and Hastings, held respectively by Liberals David Morris and Neale Burgess, cover the remainder of Flinders. The Liberals’ loss in Nepean, if translated federally, could account

SIX of the nine candidates for Flinders at a meeting organised by right wing Christian lobby group ACL in Hastings, from left, Julia Banks (independent), Joshua Sinclair (Labor), Nathan Lesslie (Greens), James Persson (Animal Justice Party), Susie Beveridge (independent) and Greg Hunt (Liberal). Federal police were on hand following some recent eggings, but the only disturbance was caused an effigy of Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was seen as one intervention deserving of eviction. Pictures: Supplied

for the drop in support for Mr Hunt recorded by the Lonergan poll conducted 4 and 6 May on behalf of the left-leaning lobby group GetUp. Although there are nine candidates, Flinders is seen as a three-way contest between Mr Hunt, Labor’s Josh Sin-

clair and disaffected Liberal-turnedindependent MP Julia Banks. The other candidates are independents Susie Beveridge and Harry Dreger; James Persson, Animal Justice Party; Reade Smith, Sustainable Australia; Nathan Lesslie, The Greens; and Chris-

tine McShane, United Australia Party. GetUp has been targeting Mr Hunt’s perceived vulnerability over climate change and his support of Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s failed challenge to Malcolm Turnbull last August, which saw Scott Morrison take over as prime minister. Cr Gill said the shire was approaching all candidates about securing more help for the peninsula, which had “pockets of wealth” as well as lowincome towns such as Rosebud and Hastings, areas with high unemployment, poor public transport and lack of investment. The peninsula had more older people and people with disabilities than almost anywhere else in the nation. “Take out the fancy houses, wineries and restaurants and you’ll find people with lower than [Australia’s] average incomes and higher numbers of people without jobs,” Cr Gill said. “If it’s a swinging seat we’ll get

more attention as the problems are only getting worse,” he said. “The peninsula’s underlying problems are not being addressed.” In its summation of the poll results the NSW-based Lonergan polling company said: “Whether the Labor candidate [Josh Sinclair] or Julia Banks reaches the final two …, Greg Hunt is currently in the lead in this seat. Julia Banks is picking up more votes from the Liberals than any other party, but 30 per cent of her voters are preferencing the Liberals over Labor.” GetUp said the phone poll showed what its volunteers “are hearing on the ground and during thousands of voter conversations: voters are turning away from Greg Hunt in their droves”. The poll “indicates Mr Hunt’s formerly safe seven per cent margin is in tatters”. GetUp says the poll shows “there are more than enough [Liberal voting] deserters to flip the seat”.

Australia’s

present this voucher

EXPRESS LUNCH

BIGGEST MORNING TEA

$16.50

Thursday 23rd May 2019 • Special Guest Speaker • Rye Primary School will be performing

GREARTIZES

P RAFFLE WON! E TO B

$15.00 Entry

including a drink*

• A delicious morning tea is included • All monies collected will go to Cancer Council Victoria • Book your tickets today!

In the Rye Hotel Bistro 10.00am - 11.30am

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL 5985 7222 BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL 5985 7222

MON - FRI limited menu Valid until 30/6/2019 *conditions apply

Limit 2 coupons per table. Valid until 05.09.14

THE RYE HOTEL 2415 Point Nepean Road, Rye Vic 3941 ENJOY DRINKS IN FRONT OF THE OPEN FIRE

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Landscaping and Gardening Equipment Skid Steer Loaders and Excavators Boom Lift and Scissor Lift Hire Log Splitters We deliver all over the Peninsula, see our website for details Southern Peninsula News

15 May 2019

PAGE 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
14 May 2019 by Mornington Peninsula News Group - Issuu