Federal Election 2022: Could Labor unknown become election kingmaker

Labor battler Tim Murray has little chance of claiming the blue ribbon Sydney seat of Wentworth but he could be a key player in deciding the next PM.

Dave Sharma and Allegra Spender are battling for the seat of Wentworth. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Tim Murray is not running in Wentworth to win the seat but preference deals have revealed the Labor candidate could well play kingmaker and decide the fate of the entire government.

With the latest polls showing Liberal Dave Sharma and his independent challenger Allegra Spender neck and neck, the knife edge seat will be decided by preferences.

Last election, Sharma beat independent by-election winner Professor Kerryn Phelps by a narrow 1.3 per cent margin after all preferences were distributed.

Tim Murray could play a pivotal role in the election.

Murray, who last election garnered 10.95 per cent of the first preference vote, has put the Greens second and Spender third on his how to vote.

Meanwhile Greens candidate Dominic WY Kanak, who received 7.53 per cent of first preferences last time, has placed Spender second on his how to vote with Murray in third spot.

Teal independent Allegra Spender has slammed her Liberal opponent and climate action champion Dave Sharma for preferencing Clive Palmer’s party despite the billionaire’s ongoing fight to open a new coal mine.

With pre-poll kicking off on Monday, the candidates in Wentworth have revealed their how to vote cards.

Spender, like her fellow independent Zali Steggall in Warringah, has announced she will not be preferencing anyone.

The decision by Spender will undoubtedly contribute to the backlash she has faced for refusing to reveal to constituents which major party she will support in the event of a hung parliament.

Sharma said Spender was “deceiving” the electorate.

Wentworth MP Dave Sharma reveals his how to vote card in the 2022 election.

“My opponent seeks to make an issue of preferences but continues to deceive the electorate,”

Sharma said.

“She will not say who she will support in a hung parliament, all but guaranteeing the chaos of

minority government.

“She even refuses to disclose her preferences so as not to show her hand.

“A vote for anything other than a Liberal government is a vote for the chaos of a Labor minority government propped up by independents.”

Meanwhile, Sharma’s how to vote card, where he has chosen to omit the names of the parties his opponents represent, shows he is preferencing United Australia Party candidate Natalie Dumer second, Liberal Democrat Daniel Lewkovitz third, Spender fourth, Labor’s Tim Murray fifth, Greens’ Dominic WY Kanak sixth and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party pick Dean Fisher last.

Murray’s how to vote has WY Kanak second, Spender third, Sharma fourth, Lewkovitz fifth, Dumer sixth and Fisher last.

Spender has lashed out at Sharma for his preference deal.

Allegra Spender’s how to vote card for the 2022 election.

“Dave Sharma’s how to vote cards ask voters to preference him first and Clive Palmer’s candidate second. This is what it means to be a moderate Liberal: supporting the science denying Clive Palmer as he looks to open what would be Australia’s biggest coal mine,” Spender wrote on social media.

Spender said Sharma’s preferences raised “serious questions”.

“Right now, Clive Palmer has a request on the Environment Minister’s desk for a new coal mine in central Queensland that would produce 10 million tonnes of coal each year for the next 18 years,” Spender said.

“Dave Sharma preferencing Clive Palmer raises serious questions.

“When our community wants strong climate action, why is Dave Sharma supporting Clive Palmer – who wants to build Australia’s largest coal mine at a time when we absolutely must phase down coal?

“This is the sort of behaviour our community is frustrated with. We’re used to Scott Morrison saying one thing in public and doing another thing privately. That’s what Dave Sharma has done here.

“Actions speak louder than words. What deal has Dave Sharma done with Clive Palmer to trade preferences? Why is Dave Sharma supporting Clive Palmer? Our community deserves to know.”

Labor candidate for Wentworth Tim Murray’s how to vote card.

Murray also joined the pile on.

“People in Wentworth are smart and know how to express their preference when voting,” Murray said.

“The UAP has used contractors to put up posters and they don’t have the ground game to hand out how to votes at polling booths.

“Clive Palmer cannot buy votes in Wentworth. Dave Sharma and the Liberals have embarrassed themselves for no gain.”

The how to vote cards serve simply as a guide to people casting their ballots.

Current Australian Electoral Commission rules state voters must number every box when voting in the House of Representatives. Ballots where voters simply label one box will be declared invalid.