History says eight of the 10 candidates on the ballot paper for Lindsay at next week’s Federal Election have no chance of winning.
Lindsay has been a Labor and Liberal stronghold for decades and has swung between the two parties, with minor party candidates having little impact.
So why do candidates on a hiding to nothing put their hand up at elections?
HEART Party candidate Michelle Palmer has run in the electorate before, both state and federally, and said she is running for the candidacy because she’s had enough of the dominance from the major parties.
“It is time. As we’ve seen over the years, nothing’s really changed. In fact, it’s only changed for the worst not for the better with the Uniparty,” Palmer said.
“It is really time for people to see that they do have a choice outside of the Uniparty. There are many different minor parties coming up now and standing up for the people and we have genuine policies that actually help the people and have them be heard.”
Trumpet of Patriots candidate Joseph O’Connor said the dominance of the Labor and Liberal parties in recent decades in Lindsay is due to compulsory voting.
“What ends up happening is you get people who come to the polls on election day, and they don’t really care that much about politics, they are just showing up so they don’t get a fine,” he said.
“What happens is they vote Labor or Liberal because they see it on TV, because their parents vote that way or some guy out the front hands them a card and they are just following it.
“Other countries don’t have compulsory voting… so the people who go up to vote are actually going up to vote because they actually care about who they are voting for, if they didn’t, they would stay home.
“In Australia its different and I think that’s why it is so difficult for minor parties to get in.”
O’Connor is also convinced a lack of understanding when it comes to the electoral system works against minor parties.
“Most people in Australia don’t understand preferential voting,” he said.
“They think they’re voting for who’s going to be Prime Minister and not necessarily voting for who is going to be their representative.”
Animal Justice Party candidate Vanessa Blazi said there has been a shift away from the major parties.
“I think there’s definitely been a shift and a swing to minor parties in the area and just going through the campaign process I’m getting a lot of support from community members who are really just looking for someone different,” Blazi said.
“It is time for minority parties in Lindsay.”
Australia First candidate Jim Saleam, who has run in Lindsay before, said he is running in Lindsay to raise public awareness on issues he sees in St Marys and Bradfield.
“It’s about developing a mass community campaign against what’s occurring in the city of Bradfield and in the St Marys Town Centre,” Saleam said.
“I hope to raise these issues as public issues, that’s the reason.”
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.