Sunday Insight: Singh a lesson for Labor

MATT SMITH: The support shown to Lisa Singh will go down as one of the most remarkable outcomes in Tasmanian political history.

Labor cast-off Lisa Singh seems likely to retain her Senate seat because of unprecedented below-the-line voter support. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

THE electoral fate of Labor senator Lisa Singh won’t be known for a few days yet. But, re-elected or not, the support shown to her and, to a lesser extent Liberal senator Richard Colbeck, will go down as one of the most remarkable outcomes in Tasmanian political history.

It should also be seen as a turning point for the major parties and how they not only determine their Senate tickets but, more importantly, how they allow individual candidates to campaign.

As it stands, Senator Singh looks set to be re-elected to the Senate off the back of strong below-the-line support at polling booths around the state two weeks ago.

This seemed impossible 12 months ago when the un-aligned but Left-leaning member was dropped to fourth spot on the Labor Senate ticket after a poll of 700 rank-and-file Labor members.

The former state government minister came in behind sitting Left senator Anne Urquhart, the Right faction’s Helen Polley and a newcomer, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union secretary John Short.

When Malcolm Turnbull called a double dissolution election, which meant it would be an all-in Senate race, Senator Singh was dropped the bottom of the ticket.

It meant that Tasmanians who voted for Labor in the Senate were voting for five other candidates before Senator Singh — unless they went below the line and put a number next to her name.

Since August, the media has been referring to Senator Singh’s spot on the ticket as “unwinnable”.

She looks set to prove we were too quick to write her off.

No one will ever really know what motivated at least 7000 Tasmanians to choose to put a number one beside her name.

There is certainly a theme running through the voting pattern that suggests many Greens voters backed Senator Singh, seemingly unaware of the consequences it may have for their own second Tasmanian Greens senator, Nick McKim.

But Senator Singh’s popularity is obviously a key factor.

An exclusive poll by the Mercury in May found that 20 per cent of voters could not name a single senator, a further 34.6 per cent said they could name just three or fewer senators, while 30.5 per cent of those surveyed believed they could name between three and six.

I would suggest Independent Jacqui Lambie and Liberal Eric Abetz are Tasmania’s most recognisable senators.

Senator Singh would probably fight it out for third spot with Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.

Without the shackles of a major party, Senator Lambie speaks her mind loud and often. But the other three have also been willing to deviate from their party’s message in a way that resonates with voters.

And the election has come at a time when more and more Australian voters are throwing their support behind micro parties or independents.

Voters are sick and tired of being told how to vote, and also how to think, by the major parties. People want to know more about who they are supporting.

Voters are smart enough to know that membership of a political party does not translate to furious agreement on each and every party policy.

Senator Singh may, or may not, be re-elected.

But, regardless of the outcome, her story is one that will be told for many years to come.