In the three weeks since allegations surfaced that local MP Emma Husar had bullied staff members and worse, her Western Sydney electorate of Lindsay has been in the spotlight. But for all the wrong reasons. And it’s not the first time.

During the 2007 Federal Election campaign the seat was embroiled in dirty campaigning with the distribution of a flyer from a fake Islamic organisation urging support for Labor.

The seat became, awkwardly, synonymous with “sex appeal” owing to former prime minister Tony Abbott’s description of then-Liberal candidate Fiona Scott during the 2013 Federal Election campaign.

The 2016 candidacy of the mid-30s Husar was seen by some as Labor’s attempt to match it in the must-win electorate that has long been the key battleground for the major political parties.

Most who call Lindsay home are proud of their patch and think it offers a pretty good lifestyle. But the area has changed dramatically in the past decades, shifting from an almost country town to what many call the “new Parramatta” and bringing with it all the problems of urban Sydney life.

From sex appeal to scandal the Lindsay locals are fed up with politicians not taking them and their needs seriously despite being a seat that could decide election outcomes.

“The people of Western Sydney are not stupid,” Penrith man Adam Sandler exclaims.

“We are actually aware of what is going on, we pay attention.”

Talked about over the office water cooler, at the park and in the pub — there wasn’t a Lindsay local who Saturday Extra spoke to who didn’t know about the controversy surrounding Husar.

Exclusive polling published today shows it’s hit support for Labor, which has tanked to losing 42 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

The ReachTel poll, commissioned by Legalise Vaping Australia, of 630 Lindsay residents shows a 10 per cent decline in first preference votes for Labor since the 2016 election, mostly shifting to One Nation.

South Penrith local Nikki McGrath, 34, says Husar has always appeared “unprepared and amateurish”. “I feel for her. I feel like she was put up and maybe didn’t know what politics was all about,” she says.

Lorraine Gardett, 51 of Erskine Park on the border of the electorate, says the scandal was a let-down after having been pleased a young, single mum had been elected to Parliament.

“It’s pretty disappointing because bullying, if it’s true, is a big issue in the workplace,” she says.

Labor insiders told Saturday Extra there are mixed feelings among local branch members. Most are shocked and upset by the allegations but some still support Husar believing she has been unfairly treated.

There is no immediate plan B for Labor.

Penrith Mayor John Thain has ruled out putting up his hand and local councillor Karen McKeown has been preselected as a candidate for the upcoming state election.

New mum Brittany Short didn’t think it would make much difference who represented the area.

“Politicians will be politicians. I don’t trust any of them,” she says.

The 25-year-old and her partner had been living in Penrith for about two ½ years because “it was affordable and not too rough”.

While they enjoy living in the area, Short is a country girl and hopes to make a tree change to raise nine-month-old son Sebastian.

Being a mortgage-belt seat, the residents are extremely sensitive to the cost of living pressures felt around the country.

Westcare Community Services director Adam Paech says the organisation has experienced a massive spike in the number of residents seeking financial assistance for their electricity and gas bills in the past year.

“Families are under pressure to put food on the table and pay their utility bill,” he says.

“While most can scrape by, it just takes one or two changes in their circumstances and suddenly they’re calling us for help.”

Congestion is a topic on everyone’s lips.

While the sudden construction of apartment blocks around the Penrith CBD has put welcome downward pressure on house prices, the surge in population has clogged the roads and public transport.

Enjoying their lunch break at a park on High St colleagues Susan Decourcey, 24, and Megan Hines, 25, discuss the big changes in the area.

“It’s becoming more like Parramatta. The roads are pretty bad and public transport hasn’t gotten any better, so there needs to be better planning but they’re already putting up more townhouses and duplexes,” Decourcey says.

The unravelling scandal has ensured first-term Labor MP Husar is now a household name in Penrith and the surrounding suburbs.

Finally this week, with mounting allegations weighing down on her, she announced she would not recontest her seat at the next election.

It came three weeks after revelations NSW Labor had commissioned barrister John Whelan to conduct an investigation into Husar, looking at allegations of bullying, harassment, intimidation and misuse of electorate staff.

It sparked an avalanche of further claims and Husar is now the subject of a second inquiry and the Prime Minister is considering calling for a third.

More than 22 former staffers are understood to have given evidence to the Whelan investigation including claims she told a male staff member to do her dishes so he could learn about “white male privilege”, that she made her staff babysit her children, walk her dog and clean up its poo. Claims upheld in the release yesterday of Labor’s findings.

Then came questions over her use of taxpayer-funded travel including her attendance at a Bruno Mars concert in Queensland and use of government chauffeurs around Sydney, which has prompted an investigation by the independent Parliamentary Expenses Committee.

There was also the scandalous allegation she pulled a “Basic Instinct” move in Parliament House, attempting to flash Labor frontbencher Jason Clare.

Both deny it ever occurred and Husar claims the reports made her throw up.

Explaining her plan to exit Parliament in the days before Whelan handed his findings to the NSW ALP, she again broadly rejected the “malicious allegations” but saw no point in going on.

“Given my reputation has been completely shredded by nameless, faceless people, I see no point in waiting for this report,” she said. “Enough is enough.”

But she pledged to continue giving her “best for the wonderful community of Lindsay”. Her constituents agree enough is enough and think it’s time to draw a line under the sorry saga.

NSW Labor yesterday responded to the Whelan investigation and backed-in Husar, finding there was “no basis” for her to resign from Parliament.

Whelan did find merit in the complaints over her management of staff and called for a separate inquiry into her alleged misuse of expenses.

But it found allegations of sexual harassment were not supported on the “balance of probabilities” and dismissed claims of “lewd conduct” in Clare’s office.

Back at the Australian Arms Hotel the area’s rapid growth is a hot topic among the clientele of tradies and local business owners.

All were careful to explain they have no issue with immigration but think the yearly intake should be “cooled” until infrastructure and services can keep up.

“There’s plenty of infrastructure for shopping but not much else,” Sandler says.

Power prices was also front of mind. “We need to stop shipping off our black coal and invest in those low emission coal-fired power stations like Japan,” one of the patrons exclaims.

Since Lindsay was first contested in 1984 it has switched between Liberal and Labor five times and party leaders are regular visitors at campaign time in desperate bids to win over the wider Western Sydney, often vital to securing government. Husar holds the seat for Labor on a slim 1.1 per cent margin.

The locals have no doubt after all the recent headlines the area will again be front and centre of the next federal election.

But they hope this time politicians will come armed with more substance than spin.

Passionate lifelong resident Troy Kennedy hopes the general public can see through the scandal and the Western Sydney stereotype.

“I’ve lived here for 44 years, raised two kids here and I love the area,” he says.