Election guide: Where to vote in Durack, who your local candidates are and what it is they stand for

After a six-week election campaign overshadowed by COVID, political gaffes, resource-stretched industries and a child-tackling Prime Minister, Durack residents will learn after Saturday’s vote who their next Federal representatives will be. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese’s stumble when trying to recall key economic figures in front of a press pack set the tone for the rest of his campaign, which was marred by more blunders and a positive COVID test. Prime Minister Scott Morrison may have fared better in front of the cameras, but the only image of him voters are likely to remember is the spectacular footage of him bear-tackling an eight-year-old during soccer training. The campaign trail in Durack was far more tame, with candidates spruiking their respective party’s solution to housing shortages across the electorate, the rising cost of living, regional crime, and the overstretched healthcare industry. Before you head to the ballot box, check out the Geraldton Guardian’s guide to voting in Durack. Electorate profile Covering more than 1.3 million sqkm, Durack is Australia’s largest electorate and the second biggest in the world. It was added to the electoral map in 2010 following the reorganisation of the O’Connor and Kalgoorlie electorates. The Liberal Party has held the seat since the electorate’s inception, with Barry Haase elected the first Member for Durack. He retired in 2013 and was succeeded by current Liberal MP Melissa Price. It covers northern areas of WA’s Wheatbelt from Northam to Geraldton, as well as Carnarvon and the northern mining and pastoral regions of the Pilbara and Kimberley districts. After boundaries were redistributed, Durack gained about 25,000 constituents in the rural areas north and east of Perth that were previously in Pearce. The electorate lost votes in the Wheatbelt east of the Avon Valley and Wiluna Shire to O’Connor. Top election issues Cost of living — Households and businesses across the electorate are under increasing financial strain because of the rising cost of rent, fuel, utilities and groceries. The Coalition introduced its temporary fuel excise cuts as part of the 2022-23 Budget to help control skyrocketing petrol prices. If elected, Labor say its government would not increase taxes and would provide tax relief for those who earn $45,000. Housing and labour shortages — Geraldton’s rental vacancy rate has been below one per cent for months and construction industry pressures have seen home builds put on hold. Under Labor, a new shared equity scheme would help 10,000 first-homebuyers enter the property market. The Coalition announced a controversial policy which would allow first-homebuyers to take up to 40 per cent from their superannuation — and no more than $50,000 — when buying property. Healthcare — The redevelopment of Geraldton Health Campus was a hot-topic during the campaign, with most candidates indicating they would put pressure on the State Government to complete the works. The Greens have indicated mental health and dental services would be covered by Medicare if the party was elected government. Power reliability and infrastructure — The Mid West suffered extensive blackouts and power disruptions over the summer, highlighting the inadequacies of the regions electricity network. Most candidates promised to advocate for improvements to the infrastructure, but none went so far as to commit funding to to upgrades. Meet the candidates Melissa Price for the Liberal Party — Also the Minister for Defence Industry, and Science and Technology, Ms Price has held the seat since 2013. She lives in Geraldton and has indicated she would advocate for Federal funding for a jetty for the city. Jeremiah Riley for Labor — The Broome-based candidate has travelled extensively across Durack during his campaign, and has worked as a native title lawyer, business consultant and as CEO of a large Indigenous community in the electorate. Ian Blayney for The Nationals — A familiar face in the Mid West, Mr Blayney was the member for Geraldton for more than 12 years before he decided to jump back on the campaign trail. Bianca McNeair for the Greens — Born and raised in Geraldton, Ms McNeair has strong family ties to Gutharagudu — or Shark Bay — and has worked to facilitate collaboration between traditional owners and climate scientists. Adrian McRae for the Great Australian Party — Before entering politics, Mr McRae founded the Wings of Kilimanjaro charity event, which has funded clean water, tree planting, and school building projects in remote Maasai communities across East Africa. Andrew Middleton for the United Australia Party — Also a candidate for the Mining and Pastoral region in the State election, Mr Middleton helped organise and lead a protest outside Parliament House in Perth against COVID vaccine deadlines for workers. Brenton Johannsen for Pauline Hansen’s One Nation Party — His great-grandfather Kurt is credited with the invention of the modern road train, with Mr Johannsen a strong supporter of investing in WA’s road transport industry. Anthony Fels for the Western Australia Party — Mr Fels was the shadow minister for fair trading and the Mid West before he resigned from the Liberal Party in 2008 to become an Independent. Craig Shore for the Australian Federation Party — Mr Shore joined the campaign trail after he lost his job in refrigeration fitting because he refused the COVID vaccination. Where to vote Geraldton Senior High School Geraldton Primary School Rangeway Primary School Allendale Primary School Mount Tarcoola Primary School Bluff Point Primary School Spalding Community Centre Wandina Primary School Waggrakine Primary School Cape Burney Volunteer Fire Brigade John Batten Community Hall Moonyoonooka Polocrosse Club Walkaway Primary School Chapman Valley Primary School Northampton District High School Dongara District High School Mullewa District High School Mingenew CRC Kalbarri District High School Eneabba Primary School Morawa District High School Jurien Bay District High School Perenjori Primary School Polling booths will be open from 8am to 6pm on Saturday.