Whitlam votes: Mike Cains’ underdog bid to turn seat blue

There are only slivers of blue in the rusted-on Labor seat of Whitlam, but the Liberal’s candidate for the seat has put forward his pitch to change that.

The Liberal candidate for Whitlam, Mike Cains, officially launched his campaign on Sunday in the party’s Southern Highlands enclave at the Bowral Bowling Club.

The Great Dividing Range lives up to its name in the seat with it splitting on the diehard reds of the Illawarra with the older and more conservative voters up the mountain.

All of the voting stations at the bottom of Macquarie Pass are rusted-on Labor booths, while up in Moss Vale, in two of the last five elections where a Liberal has run in the seat, the town has leant blue.

That’s a relative Liberal heartland in Whitlam (formerly Throsby) considering it is an electorate which has always returned a Labor member.

Mr Cains, along with Senator Andrew Bragg and state Member for Wollondilly Nathaniel Smith, urged the party’s Southern Highlands faithful to stick with them while berating incumbent Stephen Jones for “only focusing on one side of the escarpment”.

Liberal #Whitlam candidate @michael_cains launched his campaign in Bowral today alongside Senator @ajamesbragg and state @mp_nathaniel.

Labor’s @StephenJonesMP holds seat by 10.9% with Cains telling the party faithful that winning the seat is a two-campaign job. #auspolpic.twitter.com/T3yewUP4ga

— Dylan Arvela (@dylanarvela) May 15, 2022

Mr Cains, who grew up in Kanahooka and went to Edmund Rice College – the same school as the man he’s trying to unseat - said he’s committed to contesting the next two elections in the seat.

“The days of Whitlam being a safe Labor seat are coming to an end,” Mr Cains said.

“We believe the seat of Whitlam is similar to a seat like Dobell. Analysis indicates it’s a marginal seat, but the people don’t know it.

“We look at areas like Kiama and Shell Cove. We look at the demographics and income and whichever way you look at it, this should be a marginal seat.”

The Robertson agribusinessman admitted the Scott Morrison government had lost its momentum, however, he said he wanted to be a candidate focusing on the electorate.

“I’ve built my business and my kids have grown up and are relatively dependent,” Mr Cains said.

“I am in the prime of my life so it’s my time to stick my hand up for my own patch.

“We have a government who have been in for three teams and as a government ages the tide goes out, but I am laser focused on what the community needs – not Canberra.

“I am looking at why there aren’t off ramps at Dapto, why isn’t the Tripoli Way bypass [in Albion Park] finished and why is Macquarie Pass the same goat track that was built more than 100 years ago.”

Candidate Mike Cains and Senator Andrew Bragg launching the Liberal’s tilt for Whitlam. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Mr Cains is a firm believer in the proposed nuclear submarines base being located in the Illawarra and said he wants to see the planning process ramp up over the next 12 months.

“I really want to focus on an Illawarra naval base and I have already written to [Minister for Defence] Peter Dutton,” he said.

“I want local kids to aspire to high quality jobs here in the Illawarra.

“Stephen Jones has been asked five or six times, but he can’t give a straight answer, I am backing it all the way because it’s good for the Illawarra and it’s good for Australia’s defence capabilities.”

Beyond the sitting politicians, Mr Cains’ campaign launch had a sprinkling of political pedigree with a former Northern Territory Chief Minister among his supporters.

Stephan Hatton, 74, was the Member for Nightcliff in Darwin for 18 years and for a couple of those, during the mid-1980s, he served as Chief Minister.

Mike Cains is being “backed all the way” by former Northern Territory Chief Minister Stephen Hatton. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Mr Hatton, who now lives in Kanahooka, was described by Mr Cains as a “machine” during his speech.

The former NT Country Liberal leader said Mr Cains had his support for this election, as well as 2025.

“I am backing him all the way,” Mr Hatton said.

“I’ve had a good reaction [from voters when talking about Mr Cains]. They like that he was born and raised in Kanahooka and that he’s started a business in Robertson.

“There are Liberal people down here, but they don’t say too loudly they vote Liberal. We are working hard to form a branch down here because we need a three-year campaign, not just a three-week campaign.

“We want to turn this into a perceived marginal seat so both parties start to care about it.”

Speaking at an announcement about an urgent care clinic in Wollongong on Monday, Mr Jones refuted the Liberal’s claims he has neglected the Southern Highlands.

Stephen Jones has dismissed claims he has neglected the Southern Highlands. Picture: Dylan Arvela

“I am delighted that Mike Cains is focusing on my record of achievement in the Southern Highlands,” he said.

“I’ve already made an announcement - that if we are successful in this election - about the Southern Highlands regional art gallery and tomorrow I’ve got another exciting announcement to make in the Southern Highlands.

“I encourage you to ask Mike Cains about one single commitment he has made for the Southern Highlands in this election if he’s going to be successful – just one will do.”

Mr Jones wouldn’t confirm if one of Labor’s 50 proposed urgent care clinics has been slated for the Southern Highlands.