Supporters of Liberal candidate Alyssa Hayden huddled together and braved the cooler temperatures last week to hear the official results of last month’s by-election.
Husband Terry Hayden, parents Arthur and Sandra Wallis and WA Liberal Party state director Sam Calabrese stood at the entrance of Roleystone Hall to hear the results which swayed in Liberal’s favour 53.42 per cent to 46.42 per cent for Labor’s Tania Lawrence.
Although the polls officially closed at 6pm on June 23 candidates had to wait until last Friday to hear the nitty gritty details and percentages at the official declaration of results.
Mrs Hayden said she was pleased with the results and had already made plans to reconnect with many of the community members she met during the campaign.
“To me it is important that everyone who lives in the electorate of Darling Range is aware that I am going to continue to be accessible and available as their local representative,” she said.
“I will hit the ground running and plan to get across the electorate, which is massive, and understand all the issues that matter to everybody and start addressing them properly.”
During the campaign Mrs Hayden said her main concerns were the current cost of living and road infrastructure.
“In the Serpentine Jarrahdale region people were not happy with the increase in power prices, gas prices, car registration and on top of that the rate increases from Serpentine Jarrahdale shire which were massive,” she said.
“People are finding it really hard to make ends meet right now so that’s the biggest issue.”
The Tonkin Highway extension was also an issue she said she would be “banging on about loudly”.
“The Federal Government has already allocated their money so there is money sitting there in the bank; the State Government just need to allocate it,” she said.
“We need to get the trucks out of the centre of Byford and Serpentine Jarrahdale and onto Tonkin Highway to make the town centre safer… all the little rat runs through the back of Serpentine Jarrahdale to Tonkin Highway is not ideal for anyone’s safety.”
