Jamie Parker expected to retain Balmain but won’t be a ‘shoo-in’: expert
Greens MP Jamie Parker will “most likely” retain the marginal seat of Balmain but he won’t be a “shoo-in” while Jenny Leong is expected to be re-elected in Newtown.
GREENS MP Jamie Parker will “most likely” retain the marginal seat of Balmain but he won’t be a “shoo-in” while Jenny Leong is expected to be re-elected in Newtown, according to Australian politics expert Stewart Jackson.
The Courier spoke to Dr Jackson to get his predictions on how the inner west will vote following last Thursday’s ballot paper draw which revealed the six candidates who have thrown their hat in the battle for the Balmain peninsula.
In order they are; Anita Finlayson (Animal Justice Party), Emilia Leonetti (Keep Sydney Open), Jamie Parker (The Greens), Elly Howse (Labor), Angela Dunnett (Sustainable Australia) and Wenjie “Ben” Zhang (Liberal).
Mr Parker holds the seat on a 4.7 per cent margin over Labor.
“I think Balmain will be an interesting one and it will be awkward for the Greens to retain as I think polls have suggested the Greens vote has softened a little bit,” Dr Jackson said.
“The area has been gentrifying over the last 20 years so we can’t easily say it’s going to be Green this time round. It could go down to the wire.”
Dr Jackson said it will most likely come down to a Greens/Labor contest but he did not want to rule out the Liberals given the three parties each got about 30 per cent of the vote at the 2011 election.
Mr Parker has been campaigning very effectively on the perfect storm of transport and infrastructure projects that will have major impact traffic, noise and pollution impacts on the peninsula; WestConnex, Western Harbour Tunnel, Hanson’s concrete batching plant and the multi user facility at Glebe Island.
“Jamie is a good retail politician, he’s par excellence and knows how to work a community,” Dr Jackson said.
“He’s very good at shaking people’s hands talking to them and genuinely listening to them.”
Ms Howse, 30, is striking a chord with progressive inner west voters as a young female and has campaigned strongly on Callan Park and Dawn Fraser pool.
On Friday she announced a Labor Government would implement shore power at the White Bay Cruise Terminal to reduce pollution and noise impacts which has been a long running issue on the peninsula.
Mr Parker has long been advocating for shore power.
Dr Jackson said Greens MP Jenny Leong should retain Newtown which she holds on a comfortable margin of 9.3 per cent.
But Keep Sydney Open candidate Laura White and The Animal Justice Party’s Michelle Buckmaster could take some votes off Ms Leong and Labor’s Aunty Norma Ingram.
The other candidates in Newtown are Hugh Watson (Sustainable Australia), Aaron Le Saux (The Small Business Party) and Rohan Indraghanti (Liberal).
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