The polls have opened for election day 2022 and voters across Eden-Monaro are being asked the big question - tomato sauce or barbecue?
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The post-COVID lockdown era has seen the return of the democracy sausage to a number of polling booths across the district, local P&Cs once again able to raise a few dollars for their schools through election day barbecues and cake sales.
At booths across the Bega Valley, voters were few and far between on Saturday morning, no queues evident anywhere and the people manning the tongs talking of a "steady" roll up.
At the Bega Showground pavilion polling centre, Dennis Mortimer was handing out how-to-vote leaflets for Liberal candidate Jerry Nockles.
He said it was difficult to get a gauge on the feeling among voters.
"It's very difficult to pick it this year. The majority of people showing up are not taking any of the how-to-votes for any of us," he said.
"Everyone has it on their phone and I think they've thought about it beforehand and are coming prepared - which is a good thing."
Rian Smith was handing out leaflets for the Liberal Democrats and said she felt there was a definite sentiment for smaller parties amid a growing disenchantment for both of the majors.
She said a voter education campaign in the lead-up to the election was also paying dividends, schooling voters on how they direct their own preferences, not leaving it to the parties to do so.
At Bega Primary School, P&C president Rod McDonald and assistant principal Liam O'Sullivan said they were seeing a very even 50-50 split - half wanted tomato sauce and half barbecue.
Although there was chatter about a few being drawn to "the dark side" with a little of both!
Votes are cast
Sitting Eden-Monaro MP Kirsty McBain and Liberal contender Jerry Nockles have cast their own ballots this morning as each look to win over voters in the highly marginal seat.
Ms McBain was in Queanbeyan Saturday morning, with plans to finish the evening in her home town Merimbula.
Meanwhile, Dr Nockles cast his vote at Jindabyne with the intention to gather with supporters later in the day at Queanbeyan.
It's thought about one in three people cast their vote early, through pre-poll or postal votes - perhaps the reason behind the quiet booths around Bega Valley today.
Eden-Monaro candidates on the key issues
Thee 10 candidates seeking election in Eden-Monaro are, in ballot order
James Holgate, Sustainable Australia Party - Stop Overdevelopment/Corruption;
Maxwell Holmes, Liberal Democratic Party;
Kristy McBain, Labor Party;
Greg Butler, Australian Democrats;
Darren Garnon, United Australia Party;
Jerry Nockles, Liberal Party;
Vivian Harris, Greens;
Toni McLennan, Informed Medical Options Party;
Andrew Thaler, Independent;
Boyd Shannon, Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
What do each of the candidates have to say for themselves on key topics affecting you and your community? For what do their parties stand?
We at ACM Far South Coast don't profess to have all the answers, but we endeavoured to seek insight from Eden-Monaro's candidates on four key questions affecting this region.
Questions 1 and 2 were regarding the financial sustainability of local councils, and issues facing the health and aged care sectors.
Questions 3 and 4 were on housing affordability and the environment.
Disappointingly, only six candidates took the time to respond to our request.
Candidates have also been doing the rounds of community public forums right across the electorate.
ACM attended and live streamed two, with reports and full replays available here:
Snapshot of Eden-Monaro
- One of the original electoral divisions contested in the 1901 federal election.
- Completely surrounds the ACT, and incorporates major centres of Queanbeyan, Yass, Bega and Cooma
- Long regarded as one of a handful of 'bellwether' seats, where the party that wins the electorate is the same as the one in power federally.
- Bellwether status ran from 1972-2016
- Labor MP Mike Kelly's return to the seat in the 2016 election ended the bellwether status. Kelly resigned in 2020 due to ill health, with Labor's Kristy McBain narrowly winning the subsequent byelection.
- According to the 2016 Census, 147,532 people live in Eden-Monaro, with a median age of 43
- The most common industries for employed people aged 15 and over are in the public service, defence, hospitals, supermarkets and grocery stores, and accommodation.
Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
