Susan Templeman and Carmel McCallum
Labor has officially commenced the battle to retain its tenuous hold on Macquarie by going cap-in-hand for Greens preferences and accusing Liberal candidate Louise Markus of being a “seat shopper”.
As media speculation this week centred on preference deals between Labor and the Greens to help the former keep government and give the latter the balance of power in the Senate, Labor candidate Susan Templeman admitted she needed every preference she could get to hold onto the party’s 0.3 per cent majority in Macquarie.
Only three hours after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced Australians would go to the polls on August 21, Ms Templeman and Green Party candidate Carmel McCallum faced off in front of about 70 locals at the Blue Mountains Unions Council’s Politics in the Pub last Saturday, July 17.
Ms Templeman urged Green Party voters in attendance to preference Labor and said the two parties could “work together to achieve things”.
“I recognise some people will obviously choose to vote Green first and the next choice is do you want Tony Abbott or a Labor government?” she told the audience.
“For me to hold [Macquarie] there’s about 80 votes in it.
“I will only hold it if you get very strong Green preferences. I urge you to give your preferences to Labor and that ensures Tony Abbott does not get a look in.”
Liberal candidate and current Member for Greenway Ms Markus had been invited to the event, however was unable to attend.
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