Chris Dobney
A Roy Morgan poll shows the Greens’ Dawn Walker ahead of the Nationals’ Matthew Fraser in Richmond and within striking distance of beating Labor’s sitting member Justine Elliot.
The State of the Nation Poll shows Richmond is the fifth most likely federal seat to fall to the Greens nationwide, and the second most likely in NSW.
The poll has the ALP marginally ahead on 30.5 points, Greens with 29, LNP with 27, and others with 13.5.
If those numbers were replicated at the election Ms Elliot would scrape back in on Greens preferences.
Ms Walker has massively improved her position from 17.69 per cent at the last election, partly on the back of voters’ disenchantment with the major parties.
The big loser is the Nationals’ Matthew Fraser, whose first preference vote has nosedived from 37.6 per cent at the 2013 election.
On the back of the poll Ms Walker said the party had ‘a chance to make history in the northern rivers.’
Boundary changes have also helped the Greens, with the seat taking in the town of Nimbin for the first time.
But Ms Walker said the party didn’t simply expect the seat to fall into its lap.
‘The Greens growing team of volunteers have knocked on over three thousand doors and made more than four thousand calls to voters. The message we’re getting is people are unhappy with the old parties and are looking for an alternative,’ she said.
‘Locals are increasingly seeing that the Greens aren’t afraid to speak up for what matters because we aren’t beholden to big donors. We act in our communities’ interests.
‘I’ve been down at the early voting polling booth in Tweed and the people coming through are very supportive.
‘Only the Greens have the courage and vision to take action on the things that matter like the new economy, tackling climate change and protecting farmland and water from coal seam gas.
‘With two weeks to go and our campaign reaching new heights and a scale greater than ever before, I am confident that the Greens can win the seat of Richmond.’ said Ms Walker.
Meanwhile Ms Elliot said she was not taking the seat for granted.
‘Each election is a challenge and I‘m out there every day fighting hard on important local issues like protecting Medicare from Malcolm Turnbull and the Nationals’ cruel cuts,’ she said.
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