The electorate of Cook crosses the Georges River for the first time at this election.
Despite the Liberal Party’s objections that the draft boundaries were “flawed”, they were confirmed by the commission which carried out the electoral redistribution.
The traditional Sutherland Shire seat now takes in suburbs north of the river such as Blakehurst, Monterey, Sans Souci and Sandringham.
A committee which reviewed submissions concluded the new boundaries were sound.
The boundary changes have made the seat even safer for the Liberal Party, which now has a margin of 15.7 per cent.
Treasurer and Cook MP, Scott Morrison, who expressed his ‘‘strongest objection’’ to the changes at the time, has accepted the reality.
“It will be a different challenge to ensure we can work both sides of the river, but we are very committed to ensure we do that,” he said.
Mr Morrison said, as the Treasurer, he had had to move around the country, “but I have also been running a good, strong local campaign on both sides of the river”
“The response is that people want our economy to remain strong and for us to keep a good local focus on community issues, which I have always been about,” he said.
“A lot of what I put into the budget reflected my own experience in our community, where businesses, particularly between $2 million and $10 million, are the real growth engines of our local economy.”
The Labor candidate is David Atkins, 20, a student at the University of Wollongong.
When he was preselected, Mr Atkins said he believed he was the only person to nominate.
“The campaign has been very positive for the most part,” he said.
“You do get a few people who are rude, but I have learnt the area is full of mostly nice people.
“The issue that comes up repeatedly is, with the development in the area, the infrastructure is not keeping up.
“I think the council elections [in September] could be interesting.”
Mr Atkins also campaigned on housing affordability, saying Labor’s negative gearing policy addressed the problem.
“My generation is probably the first in this nation’s history that will be worse off than the previous generation,” he said.
Mr Atkins, who saw standing for Cook as a first step towards a political career, said he had learnt a lot.
“When I went door knocking, people would talk to me about everything from their local bus route to Australia's relationship with the United States,” he said.
Five candidates are contesting Cook. They are:
SCOTT MORRISON
Liberal candidate Scott Morrison, the federal Treasurer, has held the seat since 2007.
Before becoming an MP, he headed major tourism bodies, was director of the Liberal Party in NSW and was national manager, policy and research, for the Property Council of Australia.
DAVID ATKINS
Labor candidate David Atkins, 20, of Dolans Bay, joined the Cronulla-Caringbah branch of the party just over a year ago.
Mr Atkins is studying a Bachelor of Arts with majors in History and Politics at the University of Wollongong and works part time in the office of a building and landscaping supply company at Taren Point.
.NATHAN HUNT
Greens candidate Nathan Hunt was born and raised in Sutherland Shire and has been employed in several industries and companies in the area over his working life.
Mr Hunt said he was running “because I care deeply about the local environment, people and its economic future”.
He said the Greens wanted to give Cook voters an alternative to the major parties and status quo.
“'A vote for me is a vote to fight against climate change, a vote for a federal ICAC, a vote for a fairer society and a vote for the humane treatment of asylum seekers,” he said.
GEORGE CAPSIS
Mr Capsis represents the Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group).
An ordained Baptist minister, Mr Capsis has worked among the homeless and troubled youth for 30 years and is a former deputy mayor of Sutherland Shire Council.
Mr Capsis was formerly president of the Woolooware Precinct Committee and has played a role in many community campaigns.
He gained 5.2 per cent of the vote when he stood for Cronulla at last year’s state election, and more than seven per cent in the 2013 Miranda by-election.
“The major parties have moved to the left, and I want to protect our traditional Christian culture that has created a wonderful society,” he said.
JOHN BRETT
Independent candidate John Brett started work as a railway engineer and moved into road engineering and civil engineering.
Mr Brett said Australia had been deteriorating, with growing debt and mining profits leaving the country.
“In Cook, public land had been sold to developers, industry has declined, roads are clogged, more high rise residential units of uncertain quality, are in progress and traffic jams and public transport crowding will worsen.”
