Federal election 2019: Hopes hang on Henderson in Corangamite

The choice of Liberal MP Sarah Henderson to open the party’s campaign launch speaks volumes.

Liberal member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson during the Liberal Party campaign launch. Picture: AAP

It’s little surprise that Scott Morrison chose Sarah Henderson, the Liberal member for Corangamite, to speak at his launch in Melbourne today.

In a state that looms as the most challenging for the Coalition on Saturday, Henderson is giving some hope to Liberals who still hold ambitions of pulling off an unlikely victory.

Corangamite, which takes in Geelong and follows along the scenic Great Ocean Road, switched to the Liberals when Tony Abbott took power in 2013 and Henderson held it in 2016 with a margin of just over 3 per cent.

But a redistribution in Victoria has made the seat notionally Labor.

Internal sources say the seat is a tight battle which could come down to a few hundred votes on Saturday.

Labor’s Libby Coker, a former teacher and journalist, still looks like the favourite in this race.

But if Henderson can hold the seat, Morrison will be in with a chance and Labor’s path to victory will begin to look very difficult.

FEDERAL

2019

1

Corangamite

.@SHendersonMP: @ScottMorrisonMP is a man of integrity, a man of conviction, of strong values. Someone you can trust to deliver, to get things done.

MORE: https://t.co/ucyOxGVPlU #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/WWD7PCLsvb

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 12, 2019

• Sid Maher will call each and every seat as part of The Australian’s live coverage of Federal Election 2019 on Saturday, May 18. You can follow Sid on Twitter and read his latest stories here.