Lake Macquarie: Incumbent Mayor Kay Fraser out to increase her lead
On her 39th wedding anniversary Lake Macquarie incumbent Mayor Kay Fraser is going all or nothing in her election bid. It comes as independents want to see “new faces” on council.
Newcastle
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Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser is set to reclaim her title, with more than half of the total possible votes counted.
Of the 71,000 votes counted Ms Fraser, a Labor candidate, has 36,000, making her more than 30,000 ahead of the next closest candidate, Liberal Jason Pauling.
Labor looks set to reclaim six seats on the 12-person council.
EARLIER:
The corflute posters were up, there were some diehard supporters in coloured shirts supporting their candidates and even the occasional `democracy sausage sizzle’.
But glaringly obvious in its absence at booths around Lake Macquarie was the obligatory how-to-vote pamphlets being thrust into the faces of voters heading into the polls.
After Covid sparked a year-and-a-half delay in the Local Government Elections, the NSW Electoral Commission this year extended the exclusion zone for political supporters handing out pamphlets from the normal 6m from the entry to any polling booth to 100m.
“I like it,” Lake Macquarie incumbent Mayor Kay Fraser said as she arrived to vote at Valentine Public School.
“It’s nice to be able to talk to people instead of just handing them something.”
After finishing last year’s Mayoral election with 45 per cent of the vote, Ms Fraser said she was hoping to increase her lead this time around.
It is an all-or-nothing gambit for the Labor Mayor who is not running as a councillor in any of the three Wards.
And she was hoping her 39th wedding anniversary to husband Carey would be a good omen, although she conceded “we both forgot” about the milestone on the morning of the election.
“I’m not sure who I’m voting for,” Ms Fraser’s husband said as they made their way into the school’s hall.
However as they emerged he said Ms Fraser “just got in” with his all important vote.
“She can shout me lunch at Toronto or Morisset, that would be nice,” he said.
Meanwhile the absence of pushy political supporters and their how-to-vote pamphlets made for subdued scenes at booths across Lake Macquarie.
Independent candidate for the East Ward Basil Paynter said some people had been a bit confused about not being handed a how-to-vote flyer.
He said a number of elderly people he had spoken to had also been confused by the online iVote system, which crashed midway through election day, or had missed out on casting their postal vote.
The casual Physics teacher and coal power plant operator was sure of one thing.
“People want change, they’re definitely looking to see if they can get new faces into council,” Mr Paynter said.
Meanwhile Eleebana Public School P&C volunteers have been busy manning one of the more popular democracy sausage sizzles in the LGA.
“The lamingtons usually sell out,” one volunteer, on the barbecue tongs, said.
“My wife volunteered and then she couldn’t do it, so I’m here.
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