.
Atkinson
Labor gained a 9.4% swing in the Brompton booth against the tide of a
statewide 1.7% (2 party prefered) move to the Liberals.
Various
factors – the current low interest rate coupled with rising house
prices, effective locality work and lack of any local and organised
electoral alternative – contributed to this achievement.
The
Facebook based campaign “Save St Clair” pinned their hopes on a
SA Liberal win, rather than putting up a candidate. The Liberal's
release of their franchise reforms for local government –
admittedly post-mortem – demonstrates how misguided this reliance
was. Their conspicuous absenteeism leaves their friends on Charles
Sturt Council looking very exposed in the run up to the Council
elections later this year. Atkinson may choose to support a non-ALP
candidate for Mayor and sweep the board there, when a voluntary-voting election places a premium on getting the voters out.
