By Ava Cashmore
A long, winding line of eager early voters trailed out the door of the Moodemere Scout hall at Noble Park on Thursday 24 April, .
Smiles were scarce, waiting in 25 degree heat, one voter stating he was just “there to avoid the fine.”
Maxine Sankey and Margret Spitiri told Star Journal that their biggest concerns coming into the election was the cost of living crisis and their safety.
“These house invasions and things, they play heavily on my mind because you just never know when you go to bed who might be coming in,” said Maxine.
Another voter, Eroma Whaler is keeping the homeless in mind when she fills out her paper.
“I think finding jobs and homes is a priority,” said Eroma.
“I can see it on top of the streets. When you go around shopping centres, you go around your local neighbourhood, you see people sleeping in cars and people who don’t have homes.”
Andrew Webster was also concerned about employment opportunities.
“I’m unemployed. I think that industries are falling away, unfortunately,” he said.
The majority of signage and volunteers were donned in red, representing the Labor party.
However Greens candidate Matthew Kirwan, standing in Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’s Isaacs seat, was among the mix, handing out flyers and speaking with early voters.
“The promise that is really resonating today and resonating with volunteers is putting mental health and dental health into Medicare,” he said.
“At Noble Park Primary School, which is just over there, there was a 7 per cent swing to the Greens at the last election. So that’s 5 per cent more than the state average.”
Several voters in line predicted that the election outcome would be close, but that Labor might win.
Though, the general consensus was that it was just far too hot to be standing outside in a long line.
