The ALP’s grip on federal seats in the western suburbs is likely
to be maintained after this Saturday’s election, but their opponents
are determined to take some of its long-held ground from the party.
As campaigning entered its final week, Gellibrand and Maribyrnong
candidates are making a last-ditch appeal to voters to use their vote
wisely.
Momentum appears to be with the Coalition in the lower house but a complex series of preference flows means the final make-up of the Senate remains unclear.
In Gellibrand, newcomer Tim Watts will benefit from the party’s largest margin in the country (24 per cent).
He hopes for a smooth transition from Nicola Roxon, who retired after 15 years in Parliament.
In Maribyrnong, held almost exclusively by the ALP since 1906 and by incumbent MP Bill Shorten since 2007, the ALP enjoys a 17.5 per cent buffer.
