Aston By-Election: Liberals slim lead could be squashed by cost of living pressures

As voters in the eastern suburbs electorate, previously held by Alan Tudge, head to the ballot box, one key issue could drive home a Labor victory.

The cost of living crunch is set to be front of mind as voters today (SAT) head to the polls for the Aston by-election.

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will be out on the hustings to make their final pitch for the eastern suburbs seat, which the Liberals hold on a slim 2.8 per cent margin.

Barrister and Melbourne City Councillor Roshena Campbell has been tasked with cementing the electorate as opposition territory against former unionist and breast cancer survivor, Mary Doyle.

Roshena Campbell, elected as Liberal candidate for Aston, has been tasked with cementing the electorate. Picture: Arsineh Houspian.

But the first real test for Mr Dutton’s leadership, sparked by the resignation of Alan Tudge, has been marked by apathy on the ground.

Voters are being reminded that turnout is compulsory, with the cold weather believed to have kept droves away from early voting booths.

Labor candidate, Ms Doyle, said it would be a challenging contest but a win would give them a seat at the government’s table.

The single mother of two, who also cares for her great niece, said she understood the cost of living pressures.

“I have to pay a mortgage by myself, I have got a full-time job but … I have been on leave without pay for a number of weeks so that is starting to bite a little bit now,” Ms Doyle said.

She said Labor’s cheaper medicines policy, childcare changes and fee-free TAFE would provide some desperately-needed relief.

But Ms Campbell argued that the federal government was not doing enough to tackle the fallout from high inflation and had axed vital road upgrades.

Neither will be snapped casting their ballots because they are registered to vote in other electorates.

Peter Dutton believes the Aston by-election will be “tight” but thinks they will get there. Picture: Martin Ollman

Mr Dutton on Friday said: “It is tight but I think we get there”.

Earlier in the week, he pointed his finger at the Victorian Liberal Party which has been embroiled in internal scandal over the attempted expulsion of MP Moira Deeming.

But both candidates say the issue has barely been raised by voters.

The move was seen by those within the Liberal Party as Mr Dutton trying to shift some of the blame about his own personal popularity, if Ms Campbell loses the by-election or doesn’t make up much of the ground lost at the 2022 poll due to Scott Morrison and scandals involving Mr Tudge.

He also warned colleagues not to conflate the results with the NSW Liberal’s election loss last weekend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seen with Labor’s candidate for Aston, Mary Doyle, at the Bayswater Bowls Club. Picture: Luis Ascui

Anthony Albanese, who has acknowledged that no government has won a by-election in a seat held by the opposition for over 100 years, declared to his party room that anything less than a 5-6 per cent swing against them would be a failure for Mr Dutton.

Mr Albanese said: “We’re having a crack. Mary Doyle is a great candidate”.

Both parties’ ability to resonate with multicultural communities in suburban areas will also be put to the test with Chinese communities making up about 15 per cent of voters, followed by 4 per cent Indian, 3 per cent Sri Lankan.

Five candidates are contesting the seat, including Angelica Di Camillo for the Greens, independent Maya Tesa and minor party candidate Owen Miller.

More than 110,000 people are registered to vote in the electorate, with over 35,000 early and postal votes cast as of Friday morning.

Originally published as Aston By-Election: Liberals slim lead could be squashed by cost of living pressures