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Voting well underway – early and brisk turnout west of the river this morning

May 21, 2022

 

We’ve been out and about this morning visiting some of the polling stations west of the river, and the number of people voting early has certainly been steady.

 

Labor MP Susan Templeman was at North Richmond first thing and we had a chat with her and also with Greens candidate Tony Hickey who happened to be at Northo too, and we’ve also been talking with some of the party political volunteers at polling stations.

 

Liberal candidate Sarah Richards was up at Blaxland East Public School polling station early this morning along with supporters, including Liberal Senator Marise Payne.

 

“I feel hopeful that we will get a good result today but anything can happen on election day so we really have to wait and see,” Ms Templeman told the Post.

 

MP Templeman at North Richmond this morning with Shadow Cabinet Minister Senator Jenny McAllister

 
 

“This is my fifth campaign and this one certainly had elements that were more intense than previous campaigns.

 

“I’m really proud that I have been putting forward alternative plans for people, talking policy rather than personality, and I found a lot of engagement, particularly among young people, and that has been a big difference between this campaign and earlier ones,” said Ms Templeman.

 

“Because we are the most marginal seat I think there was a lot more focus on what’s been happening here.”

 

Greens candidate Tony Hickey told us it was, “nice to be in the Hawkesbury this morning. There’s a friendly vibe around the place and a lot of people taking how to vote cards from us, which is good.

 

Greens candidate Tony Hickey at North Richmond this morning

 

“The campaign has been good because there is an increasing awareness we need to act on climate change,” he said.

 

“Greens don’t get a lot of media coverage and to be frank I’ve not been impressed by the mainstream media coverage, trivialisation, and talking about personality rather than policies.

 

“We are hoping for an increase in our vote, we’re increasing it all the time, and we want to get up there with Labor and Liberal.”

 

We went to Grose View PS first thing this morning, arriving as the polling station opened at 8am and there was no queue but within 10 minutes there was a steady flow of voters coming through the doors.

 

Liberal candidate Sarah Richards with Minister and Senator Marise Payne this morning at Blaxland East PS

 

Richmond North Public School was busy at 10am – it always is come any election – with a steady flow of voters, and over at Kurrajong PS it was also brisk.

 

We spoke to a Liberal volunteer at Kurrajong handing out how to vote cards who was busy spruiking low unemployment numbers to passing voters and who told us she wouldn’t be surprised if there was a landslide to the Liberals.

 

Labor volunteers at Kurrajong were more quietly confident but told us they believed it would be a tight contest and wondered how votes for the minor parties might impact the final result.

 
 

Party political volunteers at Kurrajong PS this morning

 

We may get an idea this evening about where the local contest is heading – polls close at 6pm and counting begins soon after – but postal votes (and there have been a lot of them this year) will not be counted until Sunday.

 

Hopefully though we won’t have to wait 16 days for a result, which was the case in the last Federal election held in 2019.

 

Once we hear more, we will of course let you know.

 
 
 
 
 
 

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