State Election 2023: Tweed Heads ballot drawn
The order in which candidates will appear on your voting paper for Tweed at this year’s state election has been revealed. Here’s the list.
Tweed Heads
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Only one of the six candidates chasing your vote for the seat of Tweed Heads in this year’s state election turned up for the ballot draw.
Tweed electoral manager Ian Smith, 72, supervised the ballot, which was held in a warehouse at 43 Minjungbal Dr, Tweed Heads South on Thursday morning.
Labor candidate for Tweed, Craig Elliot - who took on sitting MP Geoff Provest in the 2019 election - watched closely as the names were placed into plastic cylinders and then into a blue cooler bag.
He grinned as he shook the bag, seeming to enjoy the theatre of the draw.
The room was quiet as Mr Smith began fishing out the names, which determined the order they will appear on the ballot paper.
The result is: (1) Ronald McDonald - Sustainable Australia Party, (2) Marc Selan - Legalise Cannabis Party, (3) Geoff Provest - The Nationals, (4) Craig Elliot - Labor, (5) Ciara Denham - Greens and (6) Susie Hearder - Animal Justice Party.
Mr Elliot took the opportunity to take a swing at the sitting government and Mr Provest.
He said Tweed residents “only have to look at their electricity bills to find out how old and tired this (National) government has become in NSW”.
“People want a fresh start and are looking for a government who actually will invest in front-line services,” he said.
“As Labor, we will stop the privatisation madness.
“Let’s get back to funding essential services and ensuring we have front-line professional services that people in Tweed so desperately need.”
Mr Elliot, who is married to Richmond MP Justine Elliot, said there was a lack of affordable housing and cost of living was “crippling” people’s budgets.
“We can’t attract the essential workers we rely on, including nurses and teachers, which is a consequence of the National Party - Dominic Perrottet and Geoff Provest - putting a public sector wage cap in place,” he said.
“We’ve got wages held back and inflation going ahead so we’re seeing those essential workers and other highly trained professionals leaving their jobs here in Tweed and going to do the same type of work in Queensland but for much better pay and conditions.”
Mr Elliot said Labor would scrap public sector wage caps if elected.
“There’s a new hospital being built (at Tweed) and if we don’t get rid of the cap, we’ll have trouble getting nurses and medical professionals that we need to ensure we can deliver those front-line services,” he said.
Mr Elliot fought against the Tweed Valley Hospital being built on State Significant Farmland at Cudgen at the last election.
But he ultimately did not succeed and the hospital is under construction.
Schools mergers at Murwillumbah will be a significant issue this election.
Mr Provest has held the seat of Tweed since the 2007 election and ended the last election with a margin of five per cent.
Early voting begins on March 18 at 9am at Casuarina Beach Hockey Club, Mullumbimby Civic and Cultural Centre, Twin Towns Masonic Centre and Tweed Heads South Community Centre.
The early voting period runs for one week (in previous years it ran for two).
Ian Smith said the ballot draw went smoothly. “There were no hiccups and we are looking forward to proofing the ballot paper and getting them printed.”
The state election will be held on March 25.
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