John Howard has said the Federal Election rests on seats like Lindsay

Former prime minister John Howard says he has confidence the Liberals can regain the crucial “swinging” seat of Lindsay at the Federal Election on May 18.

Former Liberal PM John Howard and Special Minister of State Alex Hawke join Liberal candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh in Penrith. Picture: Britta Campion

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Former prime minister John Howard says he has confidence the Liberals can regain the crucial “swinging” seat of Lindsay at the Federal Election on May 18.

Mr Howard has been joining Liberal candidates on their campaign trail and today joined former staff member and Liberal candidate for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh and Mitchell federal Liberal MP Alex Hawke on the campaign trail.

The Liberal stalwart said the federal election will rest on marginal electorates like Lindsay.

“Of course this is an area of Sydney that has gone back and forth,” Mr Howard said.

“I do have a deep personal commitment in a political sense; in 1996 when the government I was privileged to lead got into power we had a massive swing in our favour in this area.”

Mr Howard proved to be popular with the Penrith public.

Mr Howard walked the streets of Penrith greeting voters and despite being out of the political game for almost 12 years received a positive reaction from passers-by.

However it was a different reaction online with Facebook comments questioning why a former prime minister was injecting himself in an election campaign.

Alex Uren said the Liberal Party “must be desperate to recall an ex PM who was so much on the nose that he even lost his own seat”.

The Lindsay electorate is predicted to be one of the tightest at the election, with Labor reclaiming the seat with a one per cent margin in 2016.

Ms McIntosh and John Howard have known each other in a professional nature for 20 years.

Mr Howard said over the past two decades Liberals have made great inroads in the electorate.

“The remarkable thing is that 30 or 40 years ago the idea that a seat like Penrith being represented in the national parliament by a Liberal would have made people laugh,” he said.

“Over the years the Liberal party have been able to identify with the aspirations of people in the outer suburbs of Sydney far better that the Labor Party and I hope the people of Lindsay will vote for Melissa.”

Having first met Melissa McIntosh 20 years ago when she worked in his campaign office, Mr Howard describes her as an efficient person who would make a very energetic MP. Ms McIntosh said

“One of the things Mr Howard taught me was the most important thing is to listen to the people in your community,” Ms McIntosh said.

“It is fantastic to have him here today and great to now have him here supporting me in my campaign.”