Cunningham votes: Rusted-on Labor faithful reveal their red ‘relief’
For 30 years Naomi Arrowsmith and Ron Watt have supported the Labor Party which made Saturday night an unforgettable occasion for the Port Kembla couple.
Illawarra Star
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Port Kembla’s Naomi Arrowsmith and Ron Watt were taking down their election signs on Sunday after spending Saturday night celebrating Labor’s win nationally, as well as in the Illawarra seats of Whitlam and Cunningham.
Ms Arrowsmith, who along with her husband has been involved with Labor for around 30 years, said there was one overriding emotion when the result was called in favour of Labor.
“We felt relief,” Ms Arrowsmith said.
“After midnight after Albo’s speech we both shed a team for all the things we’ve been working towards.
“We’ve said we want to leave a better world behind us and the way we were going that was not going to happen, so it was a relief.”
Ms Arrowsmith has nothing but praise for the Illawarra’s new political power couple of incoming Cunningham MP Alison Byrnes and state Wollongong MP Paul Scully.
“It’s wonderful to have both of these people,” she said.
“They are in our community all the time, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Labor Party function or it could just be a gathering, say up at the Red Point Artists – they’re just a phone call away.
“We are very proud of them both.”
Ms Byrnes revealed running for the seat is something that has been on her mind for a couple of years with her former boss, the now retired MP Sharon Bird, keen to get her involved.
“[Standing in Cunningham] is something that Sharon has been encouraging me to think about for a very long time,” Ms Byrnes said.
“I don’t think there was a particular moment, but she’s been encouraging me to think about it for the last couple of years.”
“There’s a lot of love out there for Sharon, I certainly felt that speaking out in the community during the campaign.
“She’s very proud of me and she’s really excited to watch what I am going to do in my career going forward.
“I’ve had her working really hard on pre-poll, I think she’s been out there every day, but from tomorrow she will get a day off which will be nice.”
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