ALP 10.1%
Incumbent MP
John Aquilina, since 1991.
Geography
North-western Sydney. Riverstone includes parts of the City of Blacktown and the City of Hawkesbury, including Glenwood, Bligh Park, Windsor, Quakers Hill and Riverstone.
History
Riverstone was first created for the 1981 election. It has always been won by the ALP.
The seat was first won in 1981 by Tony Johnson, who had served as Member for Mount Druitt since 1973. Johnson retired in 1983, triggering a by-election.
The 1983 by-election was won by Richard Amery. He held the seat until 1991. In 1991, the redistribution saw the restoration of the seat of Mount Druitt, covering areas previously covered by Riverstone. Amery moved to Mount Druitt, which he has held ever since. He served as a minister in the state Labor government from 1995 to 2003.
Riverstone was won in 1991 by John Aquilina, who had served as Member for Blacktown since 1981. He served as a minister in Labor governments from 1986 to 1988 and again from 1995 to 2003. In 2003 he left the ministry and was elected Speaker. He served as Speaker until the 2007 election, and he has sat as a backbencher since then.
Candidates
- Jason Cornelius (Family First)
- Rosarie Bonham (Independent)
- Kevin Conolly (Liberal)
- Allan Green (Christian Democratic Party)
- Geno Belcastro (Independent)
- Michael Vassili (Labor)
- Tony Pettitt (Independent)
- Jess Harwood (Greens)
Political situation
Riverstone’s 10% margin would be enough in most circumstances to protect the ALP, but in the current climate, this seat could be vulnerable to the Liberal Party.
2007 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| John Aquilina | ALP | 23,809 | 53.6 | +0.8 |
| Kevin Conolly | LIB | 15,589 | 35.1 | +9.1 |
| Sheryl Jarecki | GRN | 1,918 | 4.3 | -0.3 |
| Tony Pettitt | IND | 1,607 | 3.6 | +3.6 |
| Ronald Atkins | AAFI | 1,474 | 3.3 | +1.1 |
2007 two-candidate-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| John Aquilina | ALP | 24,925 | 60.1 | -3.3 |
| Kevin Conolly | LIB | 16,568 | 39.9 | +3.3 |
Booth breakdown
The seat of Riverstone covers parts of two local government areas: Hawkesbury and Blacktown. All booths in Hawkesbury have been grouped together, and booths in Blacktown have been divided into “Glenwood”, “Quakers Hill” and “Riverstone”.
The ALP won large majorities in Glenwood and Quakers Hill in the south of the seat. In contrast, the ALP’s majority in Hawkesbury and Riverstone was very slim.
| Voter group | GRN % | ALP 2CP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Glenwood | 3.7 | 63.8 | 12,324 | 27.8 |
| Quakers Hill | 3.9 | 68.3 | 10,412 | 23.5 |
| Hawkesbury | 4.9 | 50.5 | 7,955 | 17.9 |
| Riverstone | 3.9 | 51.7 | 5,586 | 12.6 |
| Other votes | 5.6 | 58.7 | 8,120 | 18.3 |
Glenn, what is your source re: Rees polling?
Vassili is a member of the right faction but has been an open critic of Arbib et al. Pretty gutsy or stupid depending on your view. But I don’t see the same factional divides as are described here.
When Vassili was denied a rank and file preselection for Greenway last time there was much public outcry as by local branches covered in the national media. Vassili had come close to winning the unwinnable seat in 2007 and was kicked in the teeth by the Labor executive and in particular Mark Arbib. This is likely the reason why Aquilina supported him and not because of any deep factional bond although they are both on the right. The local media reports that he won preselection with 90% of the branch votes. Conolly on the other hand scrapped in and was left with a party divided.
I have not noticed any body language of a loss which is observed by others. Vassili is a smart operator who is known and respected in key pockets of this electorate and I would not expect that he would be running in this election if he did not think he could win having looked at some real numbers.
Watch the preference arrangements closely and don’t write the seat off for Labor as there is a twist in the tail to come in this election if my information is correct. A 14.1% swing would be very winnable position for Labor on my information as the assumptions as to where those swings will go may not be as people are predicting.
It appears by all that is said by Vasilli that he is more Liberal than Labour. I believe he has a problem with the current leadership (and potential) of the Labour Party. This is the sort of person that we should have in Parliament – someone who is not afraid to stir the pot. Although if he gets there, will he change… I feel that Belcastro and Bonham may help Vasilli get over the line. I really don’t think Conelly is liked in Windsor…
Doesn’t Conolly live in Bligh Park? He would have a major problem getting elected, if his base doesn’t like him. I seriously doubt that’s true, otherwise he would never have been elected to Hawkesbury Council in the first place.
Conolly’ main problems lie in Riverstone, Schofields and most of the Blacktown part of the electorate, where he is definitely not liked. Mind you, if the trends are to be believed, that won’t be a problem on Saturday.
Conolly only got 40% of the vote in his own electorate. Aquilina got 44% in the last state election
The Libs will win, but Vasilli is an impressive candidate for Labor.
Conolly gets elected to Council on the Liberal ticket. There are no wards in the Hawkesbury. If there was a Ward based election in the Hawkesbury Conolly would be very successful, for Labor that is as he is not well regarded.
He is not liked in the Hawkesbury and my observation is that the Labor strategy was to try to get him out as often as possible as he was the weak link in the Liberal campaign.
I notice none of his signs are defaced or pulled down, probably says lots about what Labors view of Conolly is. I even seen Vassili’s posters being put up where Conolly was but they have left Conolly there. Why ? I don’t think its because they are being kind.
However, he is “Liberal” and that is all he needs just like a Hawkesbury Council election.
Thanks for the clarification regarding Hawkesbury Council and how they conduct elections. I’ll be interested to see the booth results coming out of the Hawkesbury on Saturday.
I have seen Conolly signs put outside the Ettamogah Pub, alongside the Vassili signs that I mentioned earlier. As far as I can see, there have been no defacing of the signs by anyone, which is quite impressive, considering what other electorates have been up to.
I saw a Belcastro sign near Rouse Hill today. I would imagine that his signs are up around Riverstone and Schofields (I haven’t been out there during the election campaign). It was next to the Bonham signs.
This is one of only a handful of seats where the Greens are recommending preferences to Labor.
A couple of notes about the other candidates. Tony Pettitt is a regular candidate for the unregistered Australia First Party, and CDP candidate Allan Green is a Blacktown councillor and former Liberal candidate.
Interesting flashback I came across today: Michael Vassili v. MLC David Shoebridge in front of Justice Dyson Heydon of the High Court.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCATrans/2009/56.html
Even if Vassili stumbles a bit — ‘I appreciate, your Honour, that that is a fairly clumsy set of words that I have constructed’ — arguing before a HC judge is no mean feat, and he’s still a high-quality candidate. Hopefully he’s got a future in Labor politics even if he loses.
Hmmm…it seems to me the only thing that that matters is that Conolly wins. I suppose it doesn’t matter that both Conolly and Bassett won’t be standing down from their substantive roles as Major and Deputy Major of Hawkesbury for the next 18 months of their term if they are elected!
This is fact not fiction. Both Conolly and Bassett disclosed this at the Hawkesbury Candidates forum!
If I can only got 5 emails from Conolly in 2 years in relation to the over-development on Merriville Road, what hope do the rest of the constituents have!
Conolly will be another Clover Moore – if you go to your local member to complain about the council (well she is it) same with Bassett and Conolly. NO-ONE should be in local and State politics it is a conflict of interest
Actually Rosie, its fiction.
At the Hawkesbury Forum Kevin was asked and clearly stated that he would step down as Deputy Mayor at the end of his one year term in September.
He also said that a byelection would cost over 100k so he would stay on as a councillor for another year after that until the general election. This has been the position of every liberal and labor councillor elected to state parliament in recent years.
Ray Williams spent 2 years as Member for Hawkesbury and a councillor for Baulkham Hills
Not sure how you’ve derived popularity in the Hawkesbury, is it just anecdotal?
Looking at the number last time, overall libs lost 60-40, but in Hawksbury end, Conolly won some booths that hadn’t been one by a lib at state level since 1999 and was 50-50 overall.
Kevin was elected as a liberal only after being elected as an independant on Hawkesbury council, libs only ran a ticket in recent years
Over-development on Merriville Road? Can’t say I agree with you, Rosie, but I do respect your position on the issue. Developments have to be done from time to time, and considering where the site is, I don’t see any over-developing potentially taking place, and I go past there nearly every day. I think the site’s got a lot of potential.
As for Conolly with the Council, not even worth arguing about if he’s going to step down eventually. People like Clover Moore and Nick Lalich are the ones you should be going after, not Conolly.
DLH,
Your view on over-development is your opinion; however Tony Abbott, Ray Williams, John Aquilina, Kevin Conolly, Michael Vassilli, Alan Green, Nick Tyrell and let’s not forget the most important of all the people of Kellyville Ridge, The Ponds & Stanhope Gardens all agree with me that it’s over-development!
Maybe you should Google “Tony Abbott & Rosie Bonham.” Ray Williams & Rosie Bonham, John Aquilina & Rosie Bonham, Allan Green & Rosie Bonham, Nick Tyrell & Rosie Bonham, Michael Vassili & Rosie Bonham and last but not least Kevin Conolly & Rosie Bonham
As I’ve stated before 5 emails & 1 Community Meeting for Conolly in 2 years……and your telling me that I should be going after Clover Moore and Nick Lalich!!!!
It seems as though there are a few misguided people writing on here. Kevin Conolly is very well liked and respected, particularly in the Hawkesbury end of the electorate. Obviously not everyone is going to like a politician, however the vocal minority always seem to be heard in this area. As Steve said, Conolly was elected to Hawkesbury council before the liberals even ran a ticket. And at the last election the liberals picked up nearly half the seats available. Although they are regularly cricticised by a vocal few, the community keeps voting them in and increasing their numbers, which suggests that most of the community are happy with their performance.
Rosie I reinforce what Lib said, both Basset and Conolly will stand down from their positions as mayor and deputy, and will not recontest the local gevernment election in 18 months, slightly different to what you stated as fact.
I think Vassili has a strong voice, although he hasnt really made any impact with his party leaders. He has said he will fight for everything the community wants, although hasnt been able to commit to providing anything for riverstone, while Conolly has made several solid commitments that will benefit different members of the community.
Im voting for Conolly this weekend. I hope he wins because Im sick of the current Labor government making the same promises every election and then not delivering. We need a change and if the Liberals stick to their word then we’ll get an improvement on the current. Hopefully their plans to fix the roads and rail network come through, then maybe I will get to the city on time one day!
Just when it all looked nice my sources tell me an Islamic scare campaign is doing the rounds in Riverstone against Vassili. There were some early muttering about Conolly being an extreme religious right candidate doing the rounds earlier but that seemed to go nowhere.
The timing is about right and the electorate has been hit before with this rubbish which will be a blot on what was an interesting electorate.
If there is truth to it and it is covered quickly then I would say Conolly would be in some trouble. Its not a good way to end a campaign or begin four years in parliament.
Vassili is Catholic.
Great, so some people of importance in the community agree with you, Rosie. Well done. I already knew that. Sometimes, the majority can be wrong, too.
I put forward a view on Conolly’s continued involvement with Hawkesbury Council, if he’s to win the election and use a couple of examples in Moore and Lalich, who have shown more of a conflict of interest in remaining in their positions on a medium and long-term basis, compared to what Conolly plans to do, and you try to twist the argument with your communications with Conolly, which has nothing to do with the point of view I put forward. What Conolly plans to do, is very small beer and common sense, compared to what those two have done.
By the way, you still haven’t answered my question from earlier. Why are you bothering to stand for Riverstone, when it’s pretty clear that what you’re campaigning against is a Council issue? I think you would stand a better than even chance of a Council seat in 2012, if you tried.
If that’s true, Alan, about those rumours, then that is disgraceful.
Conolly appears to have support in Hawesbury based on him personally, he will get support from people in Riverstone, Quakers and Schofields because he is liberal but I do not believe he will get enough support to get him the swing required. Both Bonham and Belcastro will take some of the conservative vote and that will have a large impact on where the end result will be. Even if they take 5 or 6% then this being preferenced back to Vassili will mean he can win the seat. Do you agree?
Alan,
Well Labor types have been attacking Connolly for his religion, so by that warped logic why shouldn’t Vassili get attacked over his?
Obviously this sort of stuff is pathetic, but I can’t muster much sympathy when one side throws dirt at their opponent then whinge when they cop it back with interest.
On that point, we see Labor running a racially-based smear campaign against Dai Le in Cabramatta, accusing of her of being a closet staunch suporter of Pauline Hanson!
(Y’know, cos, like….she’s running for the Liberals, and Chris Spence is running for the Liberals, and Spence used to be a One Nation member…..so Le supports Hansonism! Geddit?).
So, really, it’s hard to have sympathy for Labor in this context.
ALSO NOT TRUE- ALP THROWING MORE DIRT. THERE IS NO MUSLIM CAMPAIGN, THIS IS FICTION. IM OBVIOUSLY BIASED BUT THE LIES OF THE LEFT WING CANDIDATES (BONHAM, BELCASTRO AND VASSILI) HAVE BECOME TOO MUCH AND ITS A DISGRACE
HEY ROSIE, WHO YOU PREFERENCING? OR ARE YOU TOO SCARED TO SAY? IS THIS COZ YOUR ACTUALLY A LIEING, DECIEVING POLITICIAN, RATHER THAN A “REAL PERSON”?
And you call yourself a Lib… I hope you don’t talk to other “real people” like that!
I would have thought the stuff on Dai Le here is irrelevant to Riverstone. So let’s get back on topic.
I think the campaigns run in this seat has been very poor from both parties. As a result, I think the Coalition will “fall over” the line rather than bolt away. The general swing away from the ALP will be more than enough to see the result off but I think there should be a review of this performance because it is as bad as the performance within the Federal Seats of Robertson and Dobell.
Lib,
Obviously you’re not happy with me; your body language tells the story when using CAPITALS!
So let’s get right to the point. If Kevin had of bothered to attend 1 chamber of Commerce meeting @ Riverstone, or took the time to meet the residents of Kellyville Ridge and Stanhope Gardens, do you really think that Geno and myself would be running in this electorate (so I hope I’ve answered your question DLH).
Our objectives are not based on disgraceful smear campaigns that use religious discrimination. Our objective is to send a message to Barry O’Farrell and Kristina Keneally that the people of this electorate want quality representation instead of the circus that this becoming.
Both Geno and myself are discussed in the way smear campaigns have been directed against us from the Liberal party and we are even more discussed in the religious smear campaign that insights racial vilification, and both parties should be held accountable for this form of racism!.
Also let me remind you that Kevin’s excuse for not attending the chambers of Commerce meeting was due to conflict with his Council meetings. So if he’s elected as the representative for Riverstone who will come first the electorate or council?
MDMConnell: I don’t think it’s so much that as much as communicating to Asian voters across the whole electorate: ‘hey, this is still the same Liberal Party, which contains members who are xenophobic, and have had some very unsavory past in regards to race”
It’s factual, and yes, I admit that it’s dog whistle politics, but it’s not like the Libs are any better in those regards.
“Both Geno and myself are discussed in the way smear campaigns have been directed against us from the Liberal party and we are even more discussed in the religious smear campaign that insights racial vilification, and both parties should be held accountable for this form of racism!.”
Good to see that you are discussed in these issues and that the communication levels are there.
Personally, I would be disgusted as well as discussed 😛
I don’t know the man personally but if you are going to attack him for being in council and in state parliament, then why don’t you also aim up at Clover Moore, Jamie Parker, Fiona Byrne etc. These people either already take dual roles or are looking to have dual roles. Or are you only concerned with what is going on in your meetings?
There are more important issues than this. I would have thought that the retention of Schofield Station would be number 1 on your agenda. Obviously it isn’t because you are engaging in a smear campaign of your own online. Pot calling the kettle black?
Oh and by the way, Io si Chiama Caruso!
Thank you for answering the question, Rosie.
Read in today’s Blacktown Advocate the ongoing war of words between Conolly and yourselves, over whether you were Labor stooges, or not. I would have thought at this stage that Conolly had bigger fish to fry, but, oh well.
Nothing in the Advocate about the Muslim smears, either. Conolly put some more of those yellow signs up on Sunnyholt Road at Parklea as well.
As far as I can see, Conolly only won 1 of the 4 Hawkesbury booths against Aquilina in 2007. I think he must’ve been a Councillor for maybe 8 years before that. The Libs ran an ‘independent’ ticket against the ALP. It was always clear they were Lib-aligned, and Conolly was never first on the ticket, so might explain the discrepancy in personal vs party vote.
More worrying for Conolly is that in Kellyville Ridge Vassili outperformed him on primary vote by over 3% in Kellyville Ridge in the Fed election of 2007. Different issues, different level etc, but Markus was incumbent, so the numbers are vaguely comparable. With Bonham potentially pulling votes away from the Libs in their strongest booth, but from a base that’s much lower than it should be, you can understand why Conolly’s attacking Bonham.
I still think it’s in the bag for Conolly, but based on the recent increase in activity and attacks I’d suggest he’s only just worked out it might not be the Sunday twilight cruise he was thinking.
Prediction: Labour Win – 9.5% swing against on a 2 party preferrred
I reckon 14% swing 2pp, Lib win.
@LHD- That is pure fiction once again. Kevin ran at the top of his own ticket when elected as an independant. Look at the results, your clearly wrong.
And no Rosie, the question was
ARE YOU PREFERENCING LABOR??
You wont answer it because your a liar and a typical politician pretending not to be.
Also Rosie, Kevin met with the people of Stanhope and Kellyville Ridge many times and has doorknocked over 5000 homes in those areas…remember, the people like you who want their name in the paper everyday arent neccesarily the same ones who get real results. Working hard within the system is much better. Look at Gino, screaming about schofields station and achieving nothing, Kevin has got BOF and Gladys Berijeklian out. Vassili cant even get Robertston out from Blacktown.
And your going to preference Labor- could have something to do with your application for an apartment block on your land at Kellyville Ridge, couldnt it?
15% primary swing.
Watch closely could go either way. Polling on 2pp state wide will likely not be right for this electorate unless it has actually been done in this electorate with all candidates.
Conolly has run a campaign to ram “Liberal” down peoples throats in the last 6 weeks at a time when politics is on the nose for people in NSW. Likely the Blue Shirts and Liberal overkill will be in your face on Saturday and this will only serve to push those looking to vote against the government to vote somewhere else other than Liberal.
I have seen them dancing in streets and met them ranting and this is a real vote burner in this election.
Where those “other” votes go and how it impacts on Conolly will decide this election.
around 3000 voters need to switch camp or erode from Labor to win here and when there is a campaign to turn them away that has to disappointing from a campaign point of view for Liberal.
If I were Conolly I would just ride the wave home and hold on tight. Standing on top of the wave doing acrobatics with blue shirts on the same board is fraught with danger.
I notice that Vassili is low key in the last weeks probably for this very reason.
Centrebet looks very appealing and does not reflect this electorate.
Victor’s a bit cranky today.
In the whole of the Hawkesbury, which is solid Liberal territory, Conolly picked up 83 personal votes below the line, compared with Bart Bassett’s nearly 400, and even Vassili’s 60. In the WHOLE of the Hawkesbury. Compare that to 360 personal votes for Ray Williams in the Hills in the same election, where he ran last on the ticket.
Results are mirrored in the 2007 state election where Conolly got trounced by Aquilina in 3/4 Hawkesbury booths, losing Bligh Park (where Conolly’s lived for 20 years), Bligh Park East and South Windsor. Electoral Commission website says Conolly beat Aquilina by 29 votes in Windsor, the heart of the Hawkesbury. The irony is that the Hawkesbury numbers were the highlights of Conolly’s result last time. The numbers from the Blacktown end of the electorate were shocking.
To suggest Conolly’s popular in the Hawkesbury appears to be riding on the coat-tails of figures like Bassett, not relying on facts like the booth numbers, which are readily available. No doubt the tide’s coming in, but Conolly’s saving grace is that a character who actually WAS popular (Aquilina) isn’t standing against him again. It would’ve been game over for Kevin.
As it stands, Conolly will win, but it seems the spin’s already started from “Victor” and the likes, trying to portray Conolly as a popular local hero slaying the demon Labor party, when in fact he’ll be carried over the line by a freak wave. Inevitably the tide will turn.
Lib
It may be an idea to have your facts straight before you engage in personal attacks.
Rosie is a true Independent, not aligned to any party, or formally from another party, as many so called independents are.
You need to take a look at her track record at a community level rather than a political level.
Would you take on heavy hitting developers at the detriment to your own personal wellbeing?
Rosie has been up front across the board, unlike her ego driven, dirt shovelling, counterparts.
Oh, and a quick tip, to avoid sounding like a ranting moron you may wish to learn how to use upper and lower case and take a quick spelling lesson (I before E, except after C). Think everyone learned that in their early years of Primary School.
NO LHD. You missed the point!
Conolly originally was elected to Hawkesbury council as an independant on his own ticket. I pointed this out to dispel the falsity that Kevin was elected as an independant only on a lib aligned ticket.
He is known as a sensible disciplined conservative (which is actually a very good trait up here with a much higher average age and a higher proportion of anglo-christians than the southern half of the electorate) and was elected on his own independant ticket first, before libs endorsed candidates.
Only when libs ran did he appear at number 2 after Bart Basset. And you make a good point- 83 votes below the line was the highest number that a number 2 candidate received in Hawks council election
And Alan, your probably right but its very frustrating! If libs do nothing they are lazy and taking a win for granted, if they campaign they’re “ramming down our throats”.
All Vassili has done is put up corflutes and in the last 2 weeks done a couple of railway stations and street stalls. Seems like the ppl actually want grandstanders who get in the paper but dont do any real work.
If a promise to have the same enquiry into the feasibility of a school at Kellyville Ridge as Labor has already done counts as real work, then I look forward to seeing some great outcomes.
Calling Rosie a grand-stander when she’s worked her backside off for 12 months, organising a community campaign against over-development shows how blinkered you must be. Similarly the attacks on Geno, who has fought the government and council on issues that affected thousands of people, are just ridiculous, and borne out of defensiveness because Conolly could’ve harnessed these people just by getting involved with the community a year ago.
As for getting “BOF” (I assume that’s the Opposition Leader) and Berejiklian (learn to spell) out for some photos in the paper (which is not, of course, “grandstanding in the papers” like you accuse Rosie of), I daresay that’s just more of Conolly trying to harness popular support for other high-profile hard-workers and ride off their coat-tails than it is delivering outcomes for residents.
If you think handing out a few pieces of propaganda at shopping centres and waving banners around on the side of the road constitutes ‘real work’ then there’s a big surprise coming with all the problems Riverstone voters want (and are expecting to be) solved in exchange for their vote-switching to Liberal.
I’ve known Vassili for a long time and he’s a fighter. I’d say he’s down but not out.
Victor, I am not saying that Conolly has done nothing, I am saying that, in my very humble opinion, what he is doing is not right for this climate. Labor is running a “Barry is getting a landslide campaign” and blue shirts everywhere and yellow signs flooding the electorate fall right into that message. Vasilli has run “I am the opposition candidate” which is plain as day if you have observed him. I think that is right on target particularly as that is how people have to see him as everyone apparently but Conolly, knows there is going to be a change of government.
I think you will find that Vasilli was the Labor parties best chance if Aquilina retired because he is a very smart campaigner and very well known in key pockets behind the scenes in this electorate. Polling showed a very positive recognition for him.
The “all he has done comment” ignores that door knocking and train stations is not the only way to win an election when you are the candidate for a party which is heavily on the nose.
But Sunday we will all know. I think you can still get $6 for Vasilli and I am getting on. Whether he wins or loses $6 in this seat has got to be the best odds since (I am avoiding the sarcasm temptation for fear of another partisan hit back).
Good luck to Conolly and good luck to Vassili. I have already voted and I followed my chosen ticket and I could not bring myself to vote for either of them. But one will get my vote 🙂
So Trueblue- if Rosie is an independant candidate, why is it that she won’t say she isn’t directing voters to preference labor?
LHD talks about all her hard work but it doesn’t make sense- If she has been working so hard to make the labor government reverse a decision they made, why is it that she wants to help elect their candidate?
Rosie IS a labor stooge, but anyway time will tell
And Rosie if you aren’t, tell us that you won’t be preferencing labor!
Victor, if Rosie’s anti-Labor but you think she’ll still support Vassili, it probably says more about Conolly’s failure to engage with her and convince her that he’d go into bat for residents.
Victor what is a stooge ?
Is it someone who gives a preference to someone you dont like ?
So is the Family First candidate a stooge with 1 to them 2 to Christian Democrats and then 3 to Liberal when that is clearly a Liberal vote ?
The difference between the Family First candidate and Bonham is that she is known in the electorate and stands for something local. The Family First candidate is unknown and stands for a name on a ballot paper. Me thinks he is a Stooge because I don’t like Liberal. Is that the way it works ?
If Conolly supporters like you are so outraged that Rosie may dare to allocate a preference away from Conolly then what effort did he take to secure her support other than malign her in the local media or smugly say “Vote 1” for me.
Conolly is likely the worst campaigner that the Liberals must have. Please tell me there are more inspirational members in waiting to take the dreams of Western Sydney to Maquarie Street than him.
From a distance but very interested observer Tyrell would have romped this election in with the retirement of Aquilina. He also would have given more hope of some chance of a say in Maquarie Street for Riverstone.
If Conolly reads the local electorate so badly that he sits there and doesn’t seek support from Bonham or others then what hope will he have in a parliament crawling with Liberals presumably all screaming out for their electorate ? Sitting in a party room getting screwed on a delay on the North West Rail or the local school. Me thinks none !
So after Saturday I hope the Liberals get quickly to reality as the Greenway debacle and the Riverstone debacle are a blot on their capacity to be long terms contenders in politics for this electorate in the future.
The 16 years of Labor will be over but the same factionalism that delivered a long line of hopeless hangers on in Ministerial roles and for local electorates will be alive and well in the Liberal government. That is what has delivered Conolly who history will revealed as having been there while the world passed by in Riverstone.
Before you go off the handle about why is Vassili any better, look at the preferences. Vassili appears to have been much smarter even than his other Labor colleagues in that and that is the only reason he is still in the race even if by a thread. He has my vote but only off the back of a preference. He could not have obtained that result in a shopping centre or train station trying to convince me to vote Labor as it wouldn’t happen without being heavily drugged.
Then again perhaps he should have been at Schofields and Riverstone Stations handing out Labor literature. Conolly is simply the drovers dog of this Riverstone electorate !
exactly
Victor/Lib
Geno Belcastro is my number 2 preference. The remaining candidates are in order of capability and nothing else!!!!
It’s probable hard for you die hard political hacks to come to terms with, but, the truth is I don’t do deals, and if anything, I am the most honest candidate amongst the bunch.
There is nothing for me to gain, except for experience and to be proud of myself for having the guts to put the people of the Riverstone Electorate before all else.
In closing I wish each and every candidate the best of luck for tomorrow.
Rosie
Any pollie who call themself the most honest of the bunch, tends to make me not vote for them.
An Honest pollie lol
Most honest politician of the bunch? I don’t know but you are just like every other politician in that you are very good at avoiding certain questions!!
AGAIN AVOIDED THE QUESTION ROSIE
LHD- you can try and say everything is Conolly’s fault and maybe it is maybe it isn’t.
What I am saying is that Rosie should be honest with people. Both her and Belcastro will not say that they are preferencing Labor because they know people wouldn’t vote for them if they knew that.
My point was that Rosie, by pretending to be an honest “independant” is probably the most manipulative and dishonest politician in the race for Riverstone.
She will preference Labor 3rd (before libs) because she is a Labor Stooge!
Also like to ask Rosie, why does she think that Kevin has to “engage her”? Why didn’t she engage Kevin? They are both candidates not members and neither is more or less responsible.
Rosie thinks ppl should come to her and ask her how they can help, she shouldnt ask them for help? Live in the real world Rosie.
Also, the number of emails hardly determines a candidates capability- maybe whats in them should be considered.
What can a Lib party candidate do to change a Labor party government decision? Stand in the photos in the local paper with her?
Victor, Hawkeye & dovif,
Say what you like about my honesty. I really don’t care!
For the sake of having to repeat myself, my preferences went to the most capable candidates!
Are you all saying that Kevin isn’t the most capable????
I’m questioning why you will gladly attack Kevin Connolly for working in council and either running, or being in state parliament, but you haven’t said a peep about people like Jamie Parker, Fiona Byrne and Clover Moore. These people (and more) have dual roles and they probably go through a similar problem as well. I don’t care one bit about your honesty but I do care about your double-standard. Would you actually stand up and do the same or are you only jumping on board this because it convenient for you to do so?
You seem to make a very personal thing about Kevin Connolly having days where things clash. Get over it! It happen. Why aren’t you, instead, concentrating on Schofield Station, one of the more pressing issues in Riverstone?