Federal election 2022: Voters in bellwether Dundas Valley polling booth have their say

The cost of living, jobs and health are troubling voters in one of the nation’s most crucial polling booths, but indecision plagues the western Sydney constituents.

Voters at the St Bernadette’s Primary School polling booth at Dundas Valley are a crucial bunch — they have picked the party that goes on to win the federal election and executed that every year since 2004.

Between 2013 and 2019, most of their ballots kept the Liberal Party in office, while the 2007 and 2010 polls saw Labor win government after John Howard’s last term of his Liberal reign began in 2004.

Despite that, their votes do not always result in electing the candidate who becomes the Parramatta federal MP, a title which outgoing Labor representative Julie Owens has held since 2004.

It makes their vote one both major parties are observing sharply.

We asked constituents near the St Bernadette’s polling booth at Cox Cres how they were planning to vote in the poll.

Val Goodwin, 77, is undecided.

She voted for the Liberal Party in the last election because she “thought that was the best thing to do at the time”.

“I think if they’re good living people, that’s the bottom line for me. We can’t fix everything but if they’re good honest people that’s a good start.

“I suppose they’re (Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese) both good in their own way but we have to make a decision. I’m basically a Liberal voter.’’

Val Goodwin will vote for a ‘good person’.

She has lived in Dundas Valley for 44 years.

“It’s certainly changing with the housing,’’ she said.

“When we came here it had a bit of a bad name but I was happy because I lived opposite the church and it was a big thing for me.’’

Anoosh Abrahamian, 62, and her husband Sam have lived in Dundas Valley for 35 years and voted Liberal in 2019.

“I haven’t decided yet,’’ Mrs Abrahamian, 62, said.

“I think for my age, the inflation, the costs of living is very high now and everything goes up. I think that’s my main concern.

“You can’t complain with everything that’s going on in the world. It’s not just me, people complain about the prices, the rent.

“It’s not like I’m going to vote for one party, it depends on the time, who’s doing a better job at the time.’’

The cost of living has troubled Anoosh Abrahamian.

Her husband, Sam, also voted Liberal in 2019 but is sick of politicians not taking action.

“I haven’t made my mind up lately,’’ he said.

“We’ve got so much rain, they don’t build any dams, any infrastructure.

“Then when there’s a drought, they say it’s the driest country in the world. Do something tangible, I want a tangible party.’’

Sam Abrahamian wants less talk and more action from whichever government wins office.

Lucy Bourolias, 21, remains undecided.

“I usually just talk to my parents and vote for who they are voting for because I’m not educated on it,’’ she said while waiting for coffee outside Daisy’s By the Park at Dundas Valley.

“I think my dad voted for Liberal last time.’’

Bookkeeper Maturin Piyakhun, 44, moved to Dundas Valley with her husband and nine-year-old daughter three weeks ago from the Bennelong electorate, where Liberal MP John Alexander secured her vote three years ago.

But this time around, “it’s harder” for her to choose a party.

“I’m not so happy with the Liberals and I don’t have any hope for Labor,’’ she said.

“I’m not happy with ScoMo. He did the work with the pandemic and he’s been OK but I don’t like how the health system has turned out.

Bookkeeper Maturin Piyakhun is unsure if the Liberals will earn her vote again.

“It costs us more and more and life has been a bit difficult in terms of that area. I’m in private health insurance and it cost us more and more. And we have to pay extra tax.’’

Terry Smith, 46, names job security as his chief priority.

“I’m in the construction industry and we suffered pretty big time (during Covid),’’ he said.

The father was about to secure a well-paying job but then the construction ban derailed the opportunity.

Despite the lockdown and Covid mandates, he withheld criticism of the Liberal Party.

“No political party in Australia has been through what we’ve been through in the past two years so there’s no precedent on how to handle such a pandemic, so I think they’ve done a fairly good job,’’ he said.

“I don’t know if Labor would have done any better. I certainly won’t be voting for the United Australia Party.’’

Terry Smith is concerned about employment and drugs in the suburb.

He named drugs as a “huge problem” in the community and said it soared during lockdown.

“All you have to do is go to the Telopea shops out here,’’ he said.

“I’ve been accosted. Junkies are stumbling out the roads, they’re washing themselves with a tap.’’

Accountant Sharon Chen, who has lived in Dundas Valley for more than 10 years, “doesn’t like the Liberals”.

“They’re not doing any actual work for the local people,’’ she said.

“I think more focus (needs to be put) on the local economy, how they would improve people’s living.’’

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