The Basics
- 41,617 sqkm, 107,877 enrolled to vote and 19,556 pre-polled up to June 29
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- In 2013, Jingellic, Khancoban, Rosewood, Tooma and Tumbarumba were part of the safe National Riverina electorate but have been redistributed into the marginally coalition-held Eden-Monaro for 2016
- Eden-Monaro is a bellwether seat, its main towns are Adaminaby, Adelong, Batlow, Bega, Berridale, Bodalla, Bombala, Braidwood, Bungendore, Cabramurra, Captains Flat, Cooma (key booth), Dalmeny, Delegate, Eden, Jindabyne, Merimbula, Murrumbateman, Narooma, Queanbeyan (key booth), Talbingo, Tathra, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Yass
- Industries include cattle, snow, timber, hyrdo, sheep and dairy
What happened last time
Voters in Jingellic, Khancoban, Rosewood, Tooma and Tumbarumba overwhelmingly voted in favour of the National’s on a two-candidate preferred basis.
Conversely in the swinging-seat of Eden-Monaro the Labor incumbent Mike Kelly was given his marching orders as Liberal’s Peter Hendy got up by 1085 votes.
The Palmer United Party got about as many first preferences as the Greens last time around, so it will be interesting to see if those votes go back into the major parties or not.
The Elephant in the room
Council amalgamations drew the ire of Tumbarumba earlier this year with some in the community encouraging a protest vote against the coalition. The booths in Jingellic, Khancoban, Rosewood and Tooma were worth 488 votes in 2013 with Tumbarumba registering 1201 votes with 65 per cent of that going to the Nationals.
If the entire town of Tumbarumba did turn against Mr Hendy it could have a big effect with the seat’s narrow margin.
Unfortunately for these towns much of the focus is on Queanbeyan and cross-border relations between NSW and the ACT.
The Candidates
Peter Hendy
Ballot order: 5
Party: Liberal
Bio: Both parties have been spending big with Mr Hendy having announced in the last week a $20 million NSW South Coast Jobs and Investment Package and $9 million for roads near Queanbeyan. Read more.
Mike Kelly
Ballot order: 9
Party: Labor
Bio: The mustache is back. Mike Kelly’s party hasn’t been shy with funding commitments either and a recent poll has him ahead after preferences. His campaign hasn’t been without controversy as he quite the army reserves after using images of himself in uniform for advertising. Read more.
Tamara Ryan
Ballot order: 6
Party: The Greens
Bio: Tamara Ryan is a 26-year-old lawyer from Bega who is one of her party’s younger candidates. The Greens lost ground from 2010 in the last election with a swing of 2.2 per cent. They managed to get 6,725 or 7.5 per cent of the vote and this number is estimated to jump up to 12 per cent after the same poll which gives Mr Kelly the win. Read more.
Andrew Evan Thaler
Ballot order: 8
Party: Independent
Bio: An electrical fitter by trade, Andrew Thaler got 1,223 first preference votes in his first tilt as an independent in 2013, good enough for 1.4 per cent of the vote. He had a go last year for the NSW state legislative council and his policies are based around consulting with the community. Read more.
Daniel Grosmaire
Ballot order: 1
Party: Independent
Bio: An ex-soldier and small business owner, Daniel Grosmaire believes the major parties aren’t in the business of serving the people. Follows the Cathy McGowan model of saying independents can work with the government of the day to get outcomes for communities. Read more.
Ursula Bennett
Ballot order: 2
Party: Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)
Bio (The Queanbeyan Age): Ursula Bennett says the preservation of traditional hetero-sexual marriage is the blue print for both the expression of human sexuality and the successful nurture of children into responsible, stable and contributing adults. Read more.
Don Friend
Ballot order: 3
Party: Veterans Party
Bio (The Queanbeyan Age): Don Friend says there should be national importance on the issues of Defence veterans and emergency services veterans suicide, homelessness and mental health. He says local issues are mobile phone coverage and protection of prime agricultural land. Read more.
Ray Buckley
Ballot order: 4
Party: Independent
Bio (The Queanbeyan Age): Ray Buckley believes CO2 emissions and protecting the Great Barrier Reef are of grave importance. He says emissions could be reduced with hazard reduction management and changing agricultural practices and stopping land clearing. Read more.
Frankie Seymour
Ballot order: 7
Party: Animal Justice Party
Bio (The Queanbeyan Age): Frankie Seymour believes the export of live animals is one of the biggest issues in Australia at this moment. Read more.