Last night a packed Suffolk Park Hotel exploded with cheers at around 8pm when the ABC broadcast computer popped up a Greens result for Ballina and the return of Tamara Smith to the seat she has held for the last eight years.
‘On the back of giants’
Smith kept her thanks brief but heartfelt. ‘Thank you so much Jan Barham – Jan worked behind the scenes with me for eight years. She has done countless things to assist me and I recognise her as a former MLC and former mayor. And also the deputy mayor Sarah Ndiaye, Councillor Duncan Day, Councillor Simon Chate and former MLC Ian Cohen, and of course, the former candidate for Richmond, the extraordinary Mandy Nolan who has helped me so much.
‘We’re on the backs of giants.’
At the time counting closed for the evening, Smith had attracted 10,530 votes, (40.51 per cent of the counted total), with the Nationals’ Josh Booyens following along with 6,557 votes (25.22 per cent) and Labor’s Andrew Broadly with 5,770 votes (22.2 per cent).
Polling booth skullduggery
During her speech Smith said she wanted to make special mention of how incredibly proud she was of the volunteers. ‘There was some skullduggery, of course. Labor were absolutely vile – the Labor volunteers and the candidate. But I want to say I’ve never been so proud.
‘Every single one of you who volunteered, every single one of you that was on a booth, or was door knocking or phone banking, or the ninja warriors who went out and set up – we won the corflute festival, for sure.
‘Everyone, every single thing that you have done has been absolutely outstanding. And the way that you do it – I’m so proud to be in your party and to have you as our supporters. Because when we saw the poor behaviour of others, I was able to say, after asking about our volunteers, and the feedback unanimously was that our people are so incredibly kind and gracious. We do politics differently. Well done!’
Smith became very emotional at this point, thinking about what is to come. ‘Your hard work is a mandate from our community that the things that matter to us mattered to them, and vice versa. This is a crunch time and as I’ve said the whole campaign: the next four years is tough.’
A 10 per cent swing?
Smith said at that time of the evening it looked like she had a 10 per cent swing. ‘Gus [Campaign Coordinator, Angus Locker] is very cautious about these matters. So we’re not calling that yet, but it’s definitely a really good swing and we think double what we had last time.’
Smith said she didn’t want to say too much about Locker as she would get teary. ‘Gus is 22 years-old. Basically, he has done the job of three or four people – thank you so much, because honestly, I’ve never seen anyone so professional on so many levels at your range, you’re just mind blowing and I just hope and wish you so much success. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
This morning Smith said she felt humbled and grateful for the support of the community. ‘I’m eager to get to work tomorrow to start preparing for working with a new premier and progressive government. I never want to take our community for granted. We work hard to serve them every day.’
Greens ready to push Labor
Smith said that given what people in the region have been through in the last few years, she thinks they are demanding real action across key crises – climate, housing, and cost of living pressures. ‘The Greens are ready to push Labor further across all of the areas of reform that we took to this election.
‘I look forward to working with a Labor government to deliver the second round of flood recovery assistance, flood mitigation measures across the region, and immediate reforms in housing.
‘We want to disrupt the hold that the clubs lobby have on the Labor party, and deliver fair and equitable funding to regional communities.’
The first 100 days
Smith said that in the first 100 days of the new parliament she will be introducing legislation to rein in unfettered short term holiday letting, and negotiating to see if development slated for flood prone areas like West Byron can be curtailed. ‘Further in the south I will work with the new government to address the poor health of the Richmond River, and deliver the money we need to clean the hundreds of drains that are so negatively affecting our floodplain farmers and the river.
‘The Greens will be pushing hard to get pay rises for nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as teachers and aged care workers.
‘In education I hope that we can work together to give public schools their full resourcing entitlements, restore TAFE, and attract professionals to the early childhood sector.’
With pre-poll and postal votes yet to be counted, anything is possible, but it would appear Tamara Smith is well on track to continue as Ballina’s MP.
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