The Independent who repelled the red wave in Labor heartland

While Labor threw the kitchen sink at trying to oust Independent MP Dai Le from Fowler in southwestern Sydney, she extended her hold on the seat with a 1 per cent swing. And tells the Daily Telegraph why she feels like Neil Armstrong.

Independent politician Dai Le, was re-elected as member for Fowler. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

When the red tsunami passed, Dai Le was still standing in the southwestern Sydney electorate of Fowler.

Despite a nationwide wave of support for Labor, Fowler being located in their traditional heartland, and a “dirty campaign” mounted to oust her, the Independent MP repelled the challenge to remain in Parliament.

“The Labor Party threw everything at me,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “I heard in the last two days before the election that Albo sent in his cavalry of staff to do handouts.

“So I was up against huge party machinery, trying to defend against their resources and a massive campaign of lies.”

According to Dai Le, the Labor push to reclaim Fowler through first-time candidate Tu Le included a $1 million advertising spend in the final week.

“Trying to discredit me, trying to smear me … it says more about their values than it does about me,” she said.

“The Labor Party are really good at dirty campaigning.”

Her campaign budget was “around $100,000”, leaving her outgunned 10 to 1 in the dollars war aimed at winning hearts and minds.

Independent politician Dai Le outside her offices in the Western Sydney suburb of Canley Heights. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

“It felt like I was David against Goliath,” she said after securing a 1 per cent swing to strengthen her hold on the seat she won in 2022.

“They were sending out personalised messages into the Vietnamese community saying a vote for me was a vote for Peter Dutton and that a vote for me would see Medicare cut.”

Labor party posters featuring Dai Le that had to be changed after the Australian Electoral Commission declared them illegal. Picture: Supplied

For the record Dai Le preferenced the Liberal candidate at No. 4 on her how to vote flyers.

Reaching for another historical analogy, she added: “I feel like Neil Armstrong when he landed on the moon. I’ve put the flag in the ground.

“They tried to knock me off with so much money spent on falsehoods and lies. But I’m looking forward to being a strong voice and the conscience for western and southwestern Sydney.

Dai Le speaks to voters at Canley Heights Public School. Picture: Jane Dempster

“Many of the Ministers and MPs from Western Sydney will go back to their comfortable lives, they’ve got their seats now. But I can assure them people are still struggling.

“I’m probably the only voice now that will ensure the government will not forget Western Sydney and that they have to invest here.

“Despite the attempted character assassinations, the spreading of lies, in the end I’m still standing.”

Dai Le and her son Ethan on election day. Picture: Jane Dempster

Dai Le believes her grassroots commitment was the decisive factor at the ballot boxes in Fowler – a hugely multicultural electorate where 19 per cent of the constituency are of Vietnamese heritage and 13 per cent are of Chinese ancestry.

“People know me, they know who I am,” she said. “They say ‘we’ve seen you, we know you work hard’.”

She also credited the support of Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone, who worked the polling centres on Saturday, and her colleagues on Council as vital.

Dai Le has been a Fairfield councillor since 2012. Unlike State politics, a Federal MP can also serve in local government.

Labor’s unsuccessful Fowler candidate Tu Le. Picture: Jane Dempster

One of her first duties when parliament resumes will be to hold the Albanese Government to its $80 million funding commitment for Fairfield Hospital.

“I can assure you I will be hounding them about that,” she said. “At the end of last year I asked them to match $550 million from the State Government.

“But of course they came out two weeks ago with $80 million.

“We’ll take that and we’ll ensure Fairfield Hospital has the staffing of nurses and doctors, and an MRI machine so our people’s health can be looked after.”

Originally published as The Independent who repelled the red wave in Labor heartland