Emma Pritchard

Following the 2022 Federal election, the Clarence Valley Independent spoke to several locals and asked them what they thought of the result after Kevin Hogan was re-elected for a fourth term as the Federal Member for Page, and the country moves forward under an Anthony Albanese lead majority government.

Ezrah McDonnell: I have mixed feelings following the 2022 Federal election. I would have loved to see the Greens candidate Kashmir Miller become our new Federal Member for Page because I think she would have brought a lot of fresh ideas and instant action on climate change to the attention of Canberra, but I was so happy to see Labor win. I think Anthony Albanese will prove his doubters wrong and be a great Prime Minister. I was very happy to bid Scott Morrison goodbye.

Heather Shawburn: Personally, I was very disappointed to see Kevin Hogan retain the seat of Page as a member of the opposition. I have no doubts that he will continue to work hard for us and to ensure our voices are heard in Canberra. However, I have to say that as a member of the opposition, there is a big difference between being heard and being listened to. I truly hope his words don’t fall on deaf ears in parliament because many members of the opposition fight hard for their communities, but their voices become lost in the crowd. I know Kevin has spoken positively about being a member of the opposition, and it certainly isn’t going to change his work ethic, but I hope he has the backing of the government when he speaks up.

Candace Daley: It was a well-deserved win for Kevin Hogan and a huge win for Anthony Albanese. Australia was constantly being lied to by our former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and we wanted a leader that could be trusted. Labor have also promised to make childcare more affordable which will bring much needed relief to a lot of Clarence Valley families. Two of my close friends in South Grafton are single mums with three kids each, and they really struggle to pay for childcare so they can go to work. If childcare is more affordable, that’s less stress for a lot of people.

Marc Cole: I wasn’t that impressed with the overall result. None of the candidates or parties I gave preferences to had much of an impact when the votes started to be counted. I definitely didn’t want to see Anthony Albanese become our next Prime Minster though. I reckon he’ll prove to be a spineless leader and we’ll see a leadership challenge in the next year or two.

Suzie Jacobs: I was very relieved when I heard Kevin Hogan had been re-elected. He’s been doing such an awesome job and he’s strongly committed to the local region. It would have been so upsetting if he had lost his seat. I’m happy we have a new Prime Minister, and voters made it clear they wanted a change, but it would have been a tragedy to lose Kevin just because a lot of people wanted the Coalition out of government.

Skylar James: It was great to see the Independent candidates poll so strongly, especially our local Independent Dr Hanabeth Luke. I think the results of the election reflected how a lot of Australians feel towards the major parties. Everyone wanted a change, and even though Labor won, a lot of Independents successfully attained seats across the country, which was fantastic to see.

Joyce Reddy: I am a huge supporter of The Nationals, so I was relieved and excited when I learned Kevin Hogan had been re-elected for a fourth term as our representative. I have always voted for the Coalition, but there are a lot of unhappy and disgruntled people who I know voted for Labor because they wanted a change. I am yet to be convinced that Anthony Albanese and Labor will do the Australian public proud, but I’m just happy to have Kevin continue as our Federal Member.

Nav Tenselli: I don’t live in the electorate of Page, but I was pleased to see Kevin Hogan get re-elected. I was hoping to see the Coalition win, but it just wasn’t the case. I think a lot of people were sick and tired of Scott Morrison and the inaction he and his government took on climate change, and that’s a pretty important topic for a lot of people.