Tight poll campaign in Gero heats up

With 64 days to go until West Australians go to the polls, the race for the knife-edge seat of Geraldton is heating up — which explains why the three candidates have been in campaign mode for several months now to win over voters. But now the festive period is out of the way, the stakes for the campaign leading up to the March 13 election become even more serious. After the 2017 election, the Geraldton electorate was left sitting on a paper-thin margin of 1.3 per cent, which makes the 2021 race a tight three-way tussle between the incumbent — Nationals MP Ian Blayney — and the major parties’ candidates, Lara Dalton (Labor), and Rob Dines (Liberal). Party leaders Labor Premier Mark McGowan and new Liberal leader Zak Kirkup have already made visits to Geraldton— the State’s fifth-most marginal seat this election — with more in store before the poll date. The trio of candidates have begun promising what they will do for Geraldton if they win and their party forms government. Mr Blayney, the sitting MP since 2008, this week, said he had started his fourth campaign for Geraldton about three months ago. He listed the three main election issues for Geraldton as coronavirus, jobs, and housing. Mr Blayney said Upper House candidate Natasha Colliver regularly joined him doorknocking and they had covered about 1700 houses so far. “I had a team of four or five people helping me about a month ago, and I have got them again mid-January for a week,” he said. Besides doorknocking, Mr Blayney said he had run a TV advertisement, placed flyers in the mail, and placed a small number of billboard advertisements. He declined to say how much he had spent on his campaign. Ms Dalton is having her second tilt at Geraldton, having won the primary vote here in 2017. She said she had never stopped campaigning since losing the last election on preferences, but started doorknocking in July when the party officially endorsed her. Ms Dalton said she and Upper House MLC Laurie Graham door-knocked every day, with a changing team of four or five volunteers on the weekend. She said they had knocked on the doors of “hundreds” of homes so far, including about 60 in the past two days, and intended to go to every home in the electorate. Ms Dalton would also not say how much she had spent on advertising. She appears to be running a low-budget campaign, focusing on social media and word-of-mouth, with supporters displaying signs in their yards. Ms Dalton listed Geraldton’s three main election issues as the McGowan Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic; upgrades to Geraldton Hospital and the new mental health facility; and employment and training education for young people. The spending promises she has made have been for smaller items such as community and club facilities, but the Premier is expected to announce more expensive items when he visits Geraldton this month. Late yesterday she announced an extra $38.4 million in firefighting funding to be shared between Albany, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie fire stations. Mr Dines never expected to be in politics, but agreed to stand for Geraldton when Mr Blayney switched parties in 2019. The Liberals endorsed him as their candidate in February 2020 and he started campaigning almost immediately. Mr Dines said he had “three or four” people doorknocking but did as much as he could himself. He said they had covered “probably 3000 or 4000 homes already”, as well as deliveries of flyers and fridge calendars by local volunteers. Mr Dines said he expected to spend “close to $100,000” by election day, with an extensive advertising campaign. So far he has appeared on local radio, advertised in the form guide of a sponsored turf club event, and done “a heap of signage around town”. “We have got some TV commercials in the works,” he said. Mr Dines said very few people had mentioned COVID-19 as an election issue as they seemed comfortable with WA public health officials’ approach to the pandemic. He listed local concerns for this election as public housing, recycling, and health services including mental health. Minor parties and independents are also likely to nominate candidates before the February 11 deadline.