NSW election 2019: Ryde a key battleground in tight race
This northwest Sydney seat, which sees two old political foes lock horns again, is expected to be a key battleground at the NSW election on Saturday.
It is the seat that usually goes with government — and, despite polls showing a sizeable swing against Victor Dominello, the sitting Ryde Liberal MP is expected to hold his seat on Saturday.
Two recent YouGov Galaxy polls have shown a swing of up to 8.5 per cent to Labor candidate Jerome Laxale, but Mr Dominello’s 11.5 per cent margin is likely to be enough to withstand the Ryde mayor’s challenge.
Punters, however, are backing Mr Laxale to upset the finance minister at his third crack at the seat.
The TAB yesterday revealed Mr Dominello’s odds of winning had drifted out from $1.18 to $1.22 as Mr Laxale firmed in from $4.50 to $4.
Both candidates agree that development is the hot issue on voters’ minds.
Mr Laxale claimed that the Coalition Government had turned Ryde into a “developers’ Disneyland” through its creation of priority precincts, where up to 15,000 new dwellings would be built at Macquarie Park.
However, he conceded yesterday that Labor faces a tall order in beating the “big-spending” Coalition.
“The Liberals are outspending us and ruthlessly exploiting their incumbency,” Mr Laxale said.
“But Labor’s grassroots effort and the freshness of our ideas on schools and hospitals and clean energy is resonating. Ultimately, the people will decide.”
Mr Dominello has tried to blunt his perennial opponent’s anti-development stance by taking one himself.
It flies in the face of his government’s development drive since the Coalition ousted Labor in 2011. But, the 51-year-old remains defiant in “fighting for my community”.
“I have fought overdevelopment and given the community a voice,” he said.
“I secured a two-year planning freeze in the Ryde Council area, saved Macquarie Ice Rink, saved Tennis World, TG Millner Field, Smalls Rd, plus others.”
Mr Dominello also helped secure an “assurance review” by the Greater Sydney Commission into all Ryde planning matters.
The first part of the report was released a fortnight ago, confirming Ryde was caught in a planning mess.
Labor’s planning spokeswoman Tania Mihailuk accused the government of wasting taxpayers’ money in using the report as part of a “political fix” to help get Mr Dominello re-elected.
And then, in an election-eve bombshell, Australia’s richest property developer, Harry Triguboff, revealed to the Times last week his company, Meriton, was suing Premier Gladys Berejiklian and other government agencies to get a controversial high-rise development at Macquarie Park approved.
Meanwhile, at neighbouring Epping, the race is equally about development issues.
However, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is expected to easily win his third different seat in as many state elections.
PROBE OVER POSSIBLE PRIVACY BREACH
Police are investigating Ryde Liberal MP Victor Dominello’s staff over an alleged leak of confidential information about NSW Labor leader Michael Daley’s wife.
Six members of the finance minister’s staff have been interviewed by police in relation to how private documents, held by Revenue NSW, were released about Mr Daley’s office phoning a “secret hotline” to transfer a speeding fine into his wife Christina’s name.
Mr Daley later reported it to police over a possible breach of privacy.
Yesterday, police said the Financial Crimes Squad had launched a probe into the matter.
“Detectives have spoken with a number of people and inquiries are continuing,” NSW Police said in a statement. Mr Dominello confirmed that his office had been contacted by police and was “assisting them with their investigation”.
Deputy Labor leader Penny Sharpe said if ministerial staff were using confidential information for a “political hit job”, then it’d be “an unprecedented abuse of power”.
IN OTHER NEWS
“This allegation, if proven, would represent an extraordinary breach of trust and a deeply troubling politicisation of our public sector,” she said. “The Liberals and Victor Dominello have serious questions to answer.”
The call from Mr Daley’s office related to a car he owned that exceeded the speed limit by 10km/h while driving through Banksmeadow, in Sydney’s south, in May 2017.
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