MEMBER for Mallee Andrew Broad begun the Wimmera part of his federal election day campaigning in Stawell, flying in by plane just before 1pm on Saturday.
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Polling day for the 2016 federal election was also Mr Broad’s 41st birthday, and Stawell National Party volunteers gave him a chocolate sponge and cream birthday cake.
Mr Broad, a Nationals Member of Parliament who is contesting the safest Coalition seat in Australia, said he took nothing for granted.
“There is an optimism about election day, about democracy, and there’s a camaraderie even between those wh are handing out how-to-vote cards for different teams,” he said.
“That’s the beauty of democracy.
“I got birthday presents, my six-year-old daughter gave me a mug that says I’m a great dad and I got some pajamas and we’ll find out later tonight if I get a present from the election.”
Mr Broad said voters had told him on election day that they wanted stronger regional areas.
“People want regional Australia to be a land of opportunity. They want their children to be able to come back and buy a house here and get a good job,” he said
“They want good roads, they want good broadband.”
Dawn Scott, of Stawell, said she had been volunteering to help at elections for 60 years and this year she was distributing how-to-vote cards for labor candidate for Mallee Lydia Senior.
“I suppose the Liberals will win, by a whisker, but I hope people back Labor leader Bill Shorten instead,” she said.
Political messages of all kinds might not be cutting through with voters.
A Stawell voter who gave her name as Linda said it didn’t even feel like an election was on.
“There’s been no lead up whatsoever,” she said.
A Stawell voter who gave his name as BIll said he hoped that whoever won government on Saturday also won a majority in the Senate.
“Nothing good can come from the election whatsoever if that doesn’t happen,” he said.