The LNP are preparing to defend their seat of power for the second time in over a year as voters in the Fadden electorate head to the polls.
The by-election for the seat of Fadden on Queensland’s northern Gold Coast was triggered after former Coalition minister Stuart Robert officially quit federal parliament in May.
Mr Robert had said his 16 years in politics “has not been a smooth ride”, having been elected to parliament in 2007.
“Serving my community and the country has been the highest of honours. But it is now time to focus on my family,” Mr Robert said when he announced his retirement.
“My family have stood with me throughout this time, through thick and thin. It is now time for my family to have a husband, a father and a son to stand by them.”
Gold Coast City councillor Cameron Caldwell was preselected in June to represent the LNP to contest Fadden.
Mr Caldwell, who is listed 12th on the AEC ballot paper out of 13 candidates, is up against Labor’s Letitia Del Fabbro, Greens candidate Scott Turner and Sandy Roach of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.
It comes as Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers urged voters to head to the polls on Saturday, after the number of votes cast so far were below expectations.
“By-elections have traditionally had less people participate than in a full federal election but it’s just as important to have your say,” Mr Rogers said.
“The early voting numbers we’re seeing are down by approximately 27 per cent based on the same period in 2022 federal election.“
“Typically, if someone casts their vote early in one election, they‘ll do so in the next one as well – and we’re not quite seeing that here which makes us worry about low participation.”
During the 2021 census, 194,617 people called the Fadden electorate home, with 47,679 people reported to be under the age of 19 during census night.
Two years on from census night in August 2021, there are 131,340 eligible electors enrolled at the close of the electoral rolls for the Fadden by-election on June 19.
The legal voting age in Australia is 18.
Mr Rogers said enrolled voters were required to complete their ballot before 6pm on Saturday.
“It’s compulsory to vote at a by-election, as it is at a federal election or a referendum,” he said.
“Failure to vote may result in a fine and will mean you have no say on who represents you in federal parliament.”
There had been about 16,000 people cast their vote at an early voting centre up before Monday, while 24,000 postal vote applications had been submitted.
Full list of candidates for Fadden by-election (in order of ballot):
- Letitia Del Fabbro – Australian Labor Party
- Scott Turner – The Greens
- Chris Simpson – Australian Democrats
- Sandy Roach – Pauline Hanson‘s One Nation
- Marnie Laree Davis – Indigenous – Aboriginal Party of Australia
- Suzette Luyken -Legalise Cannabis Australia
- Quentin Bye -Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment / Corruption
- Kevin Young – Independent
- Belinda Jones – Independent
- Stewart Brooker – Independent
- Jan Pukallus – Australian Citizens Party
- Cameron Caldwell – LNP
- James Tayler – Australian Federation Party
The LNP are considered to retain a safe hold on the seat, maintaining a margin of 10.63 per cent on the two-party preferred count at the last election.
Saturday’s by-election will be the second time this year the Liberals will fight to defend their seat, after Labor historical victory in the seat of Aston in March.
Labor’s win with Mary Doyle was the first time in a century a sitting government had claimed a seat from the opposition in a by-election.
Cost of living pressures front of mind for voters
Aussies continue to battle rising cost of living pressures across the country.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics monthly household spending indicator report, released on July 11, showed overall household spending was up 3.3 per cent in May, compared to the same time last year.
Liberal frontbencher Angus Taylor told reporters in May every by-election was “tough” but stated the Albanese government would be put to the test on Saturday as Fadden voters decide how it was handling the economy.
It comes as the Fadden residents reported a median weekly household income of $1,680 during the 2021 census.
The ABS reported in February that in the latest average weekly ordinary time earnings for a full-time adult was $1,808 in November 2022.
MP resignation triggers by-election
Mr Robert held a number of ministerial portfolios under successive Coalition governments, including employment and skills, veterans’ affairs and the NDIS.
The ex-minister has come under fire in the last 12 months after he fronted a public hearing of the royal commission into robodebt.
Speaking at the inquiry, Mr Robert admitted he knowingly misrepresented the Centrelink scheme despite his personal misgivings about the illegal debt recovery program, claiming he had “no choice” but to defend government policy.
Mr Robert told the inquiry in March took “absolute responsibility” for the illegal scheme at the time, conceding he had made false statements about robodebt in the past, including that the debt calculated in more than 99 per cent of cases was correct.
Mr Robert had been forced to resign from Cabinet in February 2016 over a “private” trip to China, where he met a major Liberal donor and members of the Chinese government.
A year later, he was investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission after it was revealed three candidates at 2016 Gold Coast City Council elections had been bankrolled with $70,000 of funding from the Fadden Forum, which was attached to the LNP branch’s fundraising wing.
Mr Robert told the hearings in 2017 that he did not control the branch’s funds.
Fadden’s 29 polling places will be open on Saturday until 6pm.
More to come.