A day on the campaign

For some time I had wanted to get out on the trail with the Gellibrand candidates to experience some colour and movement on the election.  I've been a booth captain previously as well as handing out campaign material at a number of previous elections, but I have never just been an observer. 

As a background, there is a $4b major railway project underway here (and in neighbouring electorates) was called Regional Rail Link, which is basically a project to separate country trains from metropolitan trains.  Currently both travel on the same tracks, leading to delays and congestion.  Freeing up tracks will increase frequency and also mean more services. It was a policy of the previous Victorian ALP, and the majority of the money is coming from the Commonwealth.  A number of railway stations will also be upgraded or replaced as part of this project.

New West Footscray station being built with old station in the foreground.

My chance was here, and on a very cold and occasionally wet Melbourne Friday, I headed off to observe. First up was the Greens. They had planted themselves outside the main entrance to the platforms at Footscray station.  Due to the above mentioned works, all passengers are funnelled into one of two entrances.  They chose the entrance closer to the bus stations and Footscray itself.  There were three helpers along with the candidate (Rod Swift) handing out flyers to the commuters. All commuters look the same: weary from the work week, and just wanting to get onto the train.  There was no animosity towards Rod or the Greens, and his campaign team have now letter boxed nearly 100% of the electorate, so the commuters are becoming familiar with him.

A few stop to talk, most take the information, but some don't.  The main issues of interest to the commuters are asylum seekers, education and employment.  These are themes that wouldn't be out of place in any electorate though.

To be a point of difference, the Rod had a helper who is playing a flute. Something you don't see every day at Footscray station near a ticket machine.  I'm not sure what the commuters made of it, as most were focused on getting onto a train.

It is certain now that the Greens here in Gellibrand want to knock the Liberal Party out of second place in the ballot.  They are also working hard to ensure that their lead Senate candidate gets wins that place.  In 2010, they got 15% of the primary vote; Liberal 23%.  Any way you look at it, increasing their vote by 8% is a big ask, so it will be interesting to see what happens on election day.  I am a little sceptical that they will increase it by so much, but time will tell. 

Greens candidate Rod Swift at Footscray station with flautist.

I left Footscray to go two stations further to meet with the ALP candidate, Tim Watts.  West Footscray station is being replaced with a new station, as well as seeing major works due to Regional Rail Link.  It took me a good few minutes to walk up to where he was.  It was in the top of a pedestrian bridge to the station, and the wind was very cold. Tim was in a jumper and suit, I said he was crazy and should have a jacket on, I did. Tim was standing in a position where he would get maximum commuter traffic, and was handing out a flyer specific on what the ALP would do for public transport in the West.  Many of the commuters took the information, one stopped to suggest some changes to it, as she thought it came from another party, not the ALP. The information states out clearly that 'Only Labor invests in the West', and focuses on the ALPs commitment to the Metro rail tunnel.

Again, the commuters were pleasant and happy to accept the information.  One said they had a bad experience with another party at another station, where they put the info into his bag against his wishes. Another said they were glad it was the ALP and not another party, and another didn't see the A-frame and was a bit shocked to see the candidate there and wished Tim well. No one was rude to any of the candidates I was with, which was a different experience to that I had working in the safe Liberal seat of Higgins, where I was routinely abused, swore and once spat at while handing out ALP material at voting booths.

Tim was joined by one campaign worker, but did have others earlier who had left to get the train into work. Standing on the bridge it was little wonder they left.  By the time it was nearing 9 AM, Tim had packed up and was moving onto his next appointment at one of the three (!) pre-poll places in the electorate.  I went home and defrosted, clearly, the candidates are heartier than me. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of Tim at West Footscray, but have the below.

Photo ALP candidate Tim Watts handing out information at Tottenham station in the same week.

 After I got feeling back in my fingers, I headed to the AEC office where pre-polling was in full swing. The interesting thing about this centre is that it is the office for three seats, Maribyrnong, Gorton and Gellibrand. Here, I was to meet with the Sex Party candidate Allan Cashion.  It was just as cold, but there were at least two volunteers from the Liberal Party, and one each from the ALP and the Greens.

Allan had no how to vote material, but said it was coming.  He did have a flyer giving information on some Sex Party policies which he handed out to potential voters.  When handing out the flyer, Allan was also saying 'It's not all about the name', which was a good way of breaking the ice with voters.  One voter said to him 'No thanks, I'm too old', not to old to vote though.

Allan has volunteered previously for the Sex Party mainly at state elections, but has no say on where preferences go as this is done by head office.  Standing for a small party means that when he leaves the pre-poll, he takes his posters down, and no one is there to replace him.  Allan has picked up one volunteer through door knocking and will have some support on election day.

A lady came up after she had voted to tell Allan that she had put them second on the ballot paper, as a result of seeing the Sex Party Senate candidate on the TV.  Clearly, getting the message out by any means is important to minor parties and something they struggle to do with limited finance.

Sex Party candidate, Allan Cashion at the main AEC office for Gellibrand, Gorton and Maribyrnong.

Candidate A-frames outside the AEC office

I next went to a pre-poll centre to see Dwayne Singleton, the Palmer United Party candidate for Gellibrand.  I have been to many out of the way polling centres but this one was terrible.  In a park, beside a scout hall, up a one way unpaved road.  

Dwayne had only just received his how to vote information from head office.  Interestingly, the ALP puts him second on their how to vote, but he has the ALP as seventh out of seven candidates. With a full time job as a town planner, Dwayne was just getting his campaign started. He will have to be more visible than he has previously been and will have to work hard to get the message out. Other candidates have been out for months, and it will be difficult at this late stage to get any messages out.  I did meet Dwayne's campaign manager, but he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

The Australian Christians Party candidate, Anthony O'Neill, and Family First candidate, Kerry Arch, have been very low profile.  Kerry has tweeted a few times, not on Family First policy, but rather on restoring the payments to single parents that were made under the ALP government. The Liberal Party candidate, David McConnell, has been campaigning as well, but I was unable to catch up with him.