weekender the western Friday, February 1, 2019 • FREE
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BATTLE STATIONS Melissa McIntosh and Diane Beamer. Photo: Melinda Jane
T
he Federal Election may still be four months away, but when you want to win a seat with a 1.1 per cent margin, there’s no such thing as starting a campaign too early. And that’s why Lindsay Liberal Candidate Melissa McIntosh and Labor Candidate Diane Beamer have hit the ground running, aiming to shore up early support and lock in votes.
The pair met in Penrith recently in a rare moment of solidarity on the campaign trail, and sat down with the Weekender to discuss their plan for Lindsay’s future. Both bring plenty of local knowledge and history to the table, and both face challenges. For Ms McIntosh, it’s a mission to gain public recognition during what is her first political campaign.
For Ms Beamer, she must overcome the issues surrounding the controversial departure of sitting Labor MP Emma Husar, who will remain in office until the May election. While Lindsay fell to the party that did not form government at the last election, typically the seat falls with the government of the day, making it one of the election’s most critical and watched electorates.
Locals can expect Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to spend plenty of time in Lindsay in the lead-up to election day. Whatever happens, Lindsay will elect its third consecutive female Federal representative when voters go to the ballot box in May. See our interviews with the candidates on pages 16, 17, 18 and 19.
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