Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton staked their final campaigns in South Australia. This important last-minute push coincides ominously with the fast-approaching November Election Day. Albanese’s Sturt visit was short, but he was treated to an enthusiastic reception from local Labor branch members. After Sturt, his attention turned to Boothby. There, he personally collaborated with TAFE SA students and successfully advocated for Labor’s policy of fee-free TAFE. Meanwhile, Dutton held an evening rally at the Arkaba Hotel in Sturt, drawing around 500 Liberal party supporters and volunteers.
Significantly, Albanese’s Sturt stop was in a key strategic place. This is an important flip, since this is the home turf of Liberal member James Stevens, who is valiantly attempting to defend his very slim 0.5 percent margin. Ahead of the trip, Albanese reinforced the significance of the closely-fought upcoming state election with an underlying message – every vote matters.
Campaign Activities in Sturt
In his first election stop on home soil, in Adelaide after travelling from Tasmania, Dutton spoke to a packed rally crowd. Nicolle Flint, a member of the Liberal Party’s ruling conservative faction currently challenging Labor candidate Louise Miller-Frost in Boothby, welcomed him to the stage. The mood in the cavernous venue was electric, as followers of every stripe cheered their man on.
“Having the support of the prime minister on the ground on the second-to-last day before election day is huge for me,” – Ms Clutterham
Dutton’s recent trip to Sturt was a reminder of how tough a race he still has to run. As the election grew perilously close, he urged his supporters to keep fighting and stay involved.
Focus on Education in Boothby
After his brief tour around Sturt, Albanese headed to Boothby, where he spoke to TAFE SA students. He took the opportunity to spruik Labor’s fee-free TAFE policy. Joined by fellow South Australian Louise Miller-Frost, he pointed to the state’s aim of increasing access to vocational education and training.
Albanese’s message struck a chord with the youth-dominated audience, making it clear that investing in education and skills training will pay dividends. Miller-Frost tours Boothby to build on a growing lead over Flint. She’s now only 3.3 percent up in the contest for the actual seat.
The Importance of Last-Minute Campaigning
With the election now just days away, these leaders on both sides of the border know how important these final days are to locking up votes. Albanese underscored just how important it is to rally support from your constituents.
“People are saying, ‘There’s only two days left to election day’, and yes that’s right and those are the two days you’ve got to go hardest,” – Ms Clutterham
We see both parties equally increasing the intensity as well. What is evident is that all candidates are determined to make a strong positive impression on these crucially important, swingy seats.
