Central Coast electorates in the spotlight as the country gears up for long election campaign

CENTRAL Coast voters can expect to be bombarded with visits by high-profile politicians including the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader as both major parties look towards the July 2 finish line.

Central Coast Liberal MPs Karen Mcnamara and Lucy Wicks gear up for a July 2 election.e Graham

CENTRAL Coast voters can expect to be bombarded with visits by high-profile politicians including the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader as both major parties look towards the July 2 finish line.

With the two Central Coast federal electorates among the most marginal in NSW, the Coast will feature heavily in the 50-odd day campaign.

Dobell is a knife-edge seat with the Liberals’ Karen McNamara holding it by a mere .03 per cent, while Robertson is held by the Lucy Wicks (Liberals) with a 3.1 per cent margin.

Since 1961 — when Robert Menzies was the Liberal Prime Minister — the seat of Robertson has been won by the party that wins government.

Where name and face recognition counts for almost everything, candidates from both major parties are hitting the train stations, visiting aged care facilities and local businesses.

Robertson federal Liberal MP Lucy Wicks hit the ground running on Monday.

“This morning we were hearing from our hardworking commuters at stations across the electorate at Gosford, Woy Woy, Point Clare and Narara,” Mrs Wicks said. “The election choice is clear for the Central Coast. The Coalition has a plan for jobs and growth, including delivering our 600 new jobs for Gosford.”

Labor’s candidate Anne Charlton, who worked for NSW Labor Senator Deb O’Neill, has been champing at the bit for the starter’s gun to go off.

“This is our region and locals know what they need. I am out and about in the community every day, meeting as many people in Robertson as I can, hearing their views.”

The Greens candidate is well-known community activist Gosford Councillor Hillary Morris.

“The face of Roberston has changed since I moved here 30 years ago. There are certainly more opportunities for employment than there were 30 years ago, but employment is still a huge issue” Ms Morris said.

Robertson Labor candidate Anne Charlton has been waiting for the starter’s gun in the race towards the July 2 finish line.

Dobell has been mostly Labor since the seat was created in 1984 when it was won by Labor’s Michael Lee until he was defeated by the Liberal’s Ken Ticehurst in 2001.

Mr Ticehurst held the seat until the 2007 Rudd-slide when former unionist Craig Thomson won the seat for Labor. Mr Thomson, who spent his last term as MP embroiled in controversy, held the seat until the 2013 elections which he contested as an Independent and lost to Mrs McNamara.

Dobell federal Liberal Ml Karen McNamara said she had never stopped campaigning.

This election will see Mrs McNamara again face off against Labor’s Emma McBride, who despite being nominated after the poll was called in the 2013 election, came close to snatching victory.

“I am ready for this election. I have never stopped campaigning and will continue to do my best to keep delivering for Dobell, ” Mrs McNamara said. “It would be devastating to see the seat of Dobell end up back in Labor and union hands. We all know what happened last time.”

Dobell Labor candidate Emma McBride.

Ms McBride, a pharmacist and the daughter of former long-serving state Labor MP Grant McBride, said the election would be a contest on health and education.

“People in Dobell want to see needs based funding in our schools and they want to know when they can go to the doctor they can access pathology tests and their local GP with their Medicare card not a credit card.”

Greens candidate for Dobell Abigail Boyd, a consultant specialising in global financial regulation, is also in running along with several minor party candidates for Dobell including

Central Coast entertainer Carter Edwards in the famous Taubman's paint ad from 1978. He is the Dobell candidate for One Nation in the 2016 election.

Central Coast entertainer and radio presenter Carter Edwards — best known for starring in the Taubman’s Paint commercial singing I Did It My way — who is standing as a One Nation candidate and former police officer Jeff Garland who is running for the Veterans Party.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

*Bookmakers have the Coalition as favourites to win the election at 1.32 and Labor at 3.40.

*The election will be held on July 2.

*All Australian citizens aged 18 years or over are required to enrol and vote in this election.

*The deadline to enrol is 8pm, May 23.

*To confirm your enrolment for this election visit the Australian Electoral Commission website.