John Howard and Tony Abbott hit Warringah campaign trail with Katherine Deves
Katherine Deves is gathering momentum in her bid to unseat Zali Steggall and win back Tony Abbott’s former seat of Warringah for the Liberals, thanks to some big name last minute support.
Mosman
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Warringah constituents turned out in droves to welcome blue ribbon royalty to Manly Corso this week with both Tony Abbott and John Howard making surprise visits to support Katherine Deves.
The former prime ministers were swamped by star struck supporters as they wandered the corso.
“It is time to bring Warringah home,” Deves wrote of the event on her social media pages.
The Liberal’s pick for Warringah is certainly not one to hold back and a series of online sledges against Zali Steggall have been lapped up by her loyal followers.
Deves has spent the past week gaining momentum for her #voterealnotteal hashtag by publishing snaps of the electric vehicle championing team Steggall using a Porsche Macan on the campaign trail.
“I’ll just leave these here,” Deves wrote cheekily, to the delight of her supporters
The Liberal candidate has posted a series of photos of Steggall apparently leaving various events while Deves stays to engage with constituents.
She’s also been regularly praised by her legion of fans for her daily food posts which show her dining out at local restaurants and munching on everything from sushi to a sausage sandwich at the footy.
“Keep your strength up Katherine,” commented one follower.
However the most recent polling data suggests Steggall is not only here to stay but is also set to increase her margin.
The YouGov poll, commissioned by The Australian, shows Steggall is predicted to increase her 7.24 per cent margin over Liberal rival Deves to 9 per cent.
Deves is polling at 41 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis to Steggall’s 59.
The poll also shows Steggall is set to reap 45 per cent of the first-preference vote compared to Deves’ 32 per cent.
“The YouGov polling is encouraging, but the most important feedback is the thousands of conversations and emails from Warringah locals acknowledging how effective independent representation has been for our electorate,” Steggall told the Mosman Daily.
“I’ve taken part in 18 Warringah community forums online and in person over the past three years and I really value all the feedback I get from the constituents of Warringah.
“At pre-polling stations, I’m incredibly honoured to have the support of so many volunteers. Regardless of what the polling says, as an athlete I’ll keep my head down until I cross the finish line.”
Steggall said, while she’d received support from across the board, there had been a particularly heartening response from young women in relation to her campaign for equity.
The independent plans to watch the results come in on election night at a party at a Warringah venue to thank her many volunteers.
One Nation wants to build a bridge … but no one’s listening
One Nation’s NSW leader Mark Latham made an appearance at the Spit Bridge with Warringah candidate Steven Tripp and number 2 senate candidate Colin Grigg earlier this month.
Tripp posted the video of their press conference to his social media which leads off with a rant from a miffed Latham who was upset no media turned up.
“It’s a funny electorate Warringah where the Liberal candidate Katherine Deves is accused of running away from the media and here today, when we’ve called our press conference, it looks like the media has run away from One Nation,” Latham said.
“They’re too scared to ask us any questions – mainly because we’re straight talkers and we’ve got the answers they probably don’t want to hear.
“We’re not woke hypocrites like Zali Steggall.”
Tripp said Warringah’s traffic infrastructure had been neglected, particularly Military and Warringah roads, Neutral Bay Junction and around Dee Why.
“When elected, I pledge to secure the required federal funding for the Beaches Link and will look to fast-track its construction. This is my first preference,” Tripp said.
“My second preference would be for a new bridge to be constructed, one high enough to allow marine traffic to pass without impeding road traffic and one wide enough to accommodate the traffic volume for now and into the foreseeable future.
“A bridge done right can be an iconic monument and a tourist attraction, which would stimulate the economy of the surrounding area.
“To ensure the bridge is done right, I propose a design competition, to be voted on by the Warringah community, to ensure we select the best option possible.”
Odds in Steggall’s favour
Punters are lining up to back Deves and Steggall with the race for Warringah boasting the third highest amount waged with TAB of any seat in Australia.
When betting first opened, TAB had Steggall at $1.65 and Deves at $2.15. However, in recent weeks the odds on favourite Steggall have narrowed to $1.07 while those on Deves have blown out to $8. Christian lobby targets Zali
Insular peninsula letterboxes have been stuffed with brochures courtesy of the Australian Christian Lobby attacking Steggall for her role in protecting LGBT+ students and teachers.
The dramatic brochures depict Steggall operating a crane which is demolishing a church.
“In February, Zali Steggall voted against protecting people of faith from discrimination and voted to remove laws that protect the values of religious schools,” the pamphlet reads. “Do her attacks on Christianity and other faiths accord with your values?”
Steggall, together with fellow independent Andrew Wilkie and five Liberal members who crossed the floor, voted with Labor to support amendments to the Coalition’s Religious Discrimination Bill to ensure it did not leave groups including transgender youth exposed.
Sitting Wentworth MP Dave Sharma, one of the Liberals who crossed the floor, was also targeted in a similar campaign by the ACL.
Steggall said she was buoyed by the supportive response she’d received from the community in the wake of the letterbox drop.
“Against this positivity, there has also been frustration from people who have had their letterboxes inundated by misleading flyers. But for the most part, our community sees through the lies and would like to see truth in political advertising legislation as proposed in my Stop the Lies bill,” she said.
Odds in Steggall’s favour
Punters are lining up to back Deves and Steggall with the race for Warringah boasting the third highest amount waged with TAB of any seat in Australia.
When betting first opened, TAB had Steggall at $1.65 and Deves at $2.15.
However, in recent weeks the odds on favourite Steggallhave narrowed to $1.07 while those on Deves have blown out to $8.
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