Liberal behemoth rolls through Wollongong suburbs
Illawarra Mercury
Friday March 25, 2011
AS Premier Kristina Keneally stopped by for what may well be her farewell tour of the Illawarra late yesterday, the Coalition was practising its victory lap.Deputy Opposition Leader Jillian Skinner and a troupe of Liberal MPs rolled into town on one of four Coalition buses that will visit every NSW electorate before tomorrow.First stop was Keira, where the group alighted at Stockland Corrimal to sweet-talk shoppers and back-scratch the converted in a bid to get Liberal candidate John Dorahy over the line."[The reception was] pretty good, overall," Mr Dorahy said. "You always get people who don't agree with the Liberal view, but in the main we were very well accepted."The bus chugged along the Princes Hwy to Dapto, where 26-year-old Shellharbour Liberal candidate Larissa Mallinson met the group for a Dapto Mall sweep.Their efforts may well be in vain, though, with polls showing Labor is on track for a win, albeit a less convincing one than last time around.Ms Mallinson, a keen surfer, said early morning letterbox drops and meet-and-greets had left her little time to hit the waves over the past few months."I've been putting in my best effort - [the Liberals] are putting in a campaign never seen in Shellharbour before," she said.The bus blitz continued to Albion Park Centro to meet Liberal hopeful Gareth Ward, who has been playing down his chances of victory against Labor incumbent Matt Brown.But he conceded yesterday that Liberal sentiment was strong."We were very warmly received, the response was overwhelming," Mr Ward said."People really want to embrace change in the Illawarra, and ... they know the only way to do that is to vote for a local Liberal candidate."
© 2011 Illawarra Mercury