Geraldton independent Shane Van Styn puts Liberals ahead of Nationals on how to vote card, insists no malice

Geraldton independent candidate Shane Van Styn says he has no malice towards the Nationals despite putting Liberal candidate Tim Milnes at number two on his how to vote card. Political experts last week predicted the race for the Geraldton seat would be close and Mr Van Styn’s preferences could be key to deciding the result. The former mayor denied the Nationals’ decision to pre-select Kirrilee Warr as their candidate instead of him played a role in his preferences, with the Chapman Valley shire president falling to five on his card. “There’s no bad blood between me and the Nationals,” he said. “I spoke with the Nationals as part of this process and this is how those conversations have ended up.” The Nationals and Liberals agreement to cross-preference each other meant there was no scope for a preference deal to be made, according to Mr Van Styn. Mr Milnes said it was a positive result for his campaign. “I’m pleased that Shane Van Styn has made a decision to preference the Liberal Party second,” he said. “Shane and I have a mutual respect and wish him the best in his campaign.” Ms Warr shook off the news of how the preferences fell, saying her efforts would be put towards winning over the people. “Ultimately, it’s the people of Geraldton who will decide where to put their vote and their preferences on polling day, not preference suggestions made by other candidates, and I’ll be using every moment between now and the close of polls on March 8 to earn every vote,” she said. As of Thursday, seven of the nine parties or independents in Geraldton had submitted their how to vote cards through the WA Electoral Commission, with only the Greens and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party yet to make a submission. Of those, only Labor and the Legalise Cannabis WA party placed a high preference for incumbent Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton, with the remaining five placing her in the bottom three on their cards. However, senior Labor Minister Paul Papalia was confident in Ms Dalton securing a second term. “I think Lara Dalton’s the best person to represent Geraldton. She’s been an excellent local member,” he said. “If you want to have a seat at the Government table, if you want good, strong representation for Geraldton, then you should vote for Lara.” Vote Climate One has also issued a how to vote card, urging voters to put Ms Dalton third on the ballot. Mr Van Styn said the community was tired of the Labor Government. “This game is about putting Labor last; it’s not about who’s two, three, four or otherwise,” he said. “It’s about ensuring that we get rid of this toxic Labor Government.” Early polling begins from Monday February 24 at Sanford Plaza in Geraldton and will be open from 8am to 6pm until election day, excluding Sunday March 2 and Monday March 3.