MISSING IN ACTION

IT has been a long election campaign and, as expected, the seat of Corangamite has attracted plenty of attention as the second most marginal in the state. Plenty of cash, plenty of promises and plenty of love from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has visited the electorate twice during this campaign period.

However the same cannot be said for his opposition counterpart, Anthony Albanese, who has not made a public appearance in the region since last November.

On Monday the ALP’s leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, was in town supporting Corangamite MP Libby Coker at a local pre-poll booth, while Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek also made a flying visit last week.

But appearances from high-profile frontbenchers does little to mask the absence of the man who would be Prime Minister from one of the country’s most marginal seats.

Whether ALP powerbrokers believe Corangamite is in the bag, or that its proximity to Corio MP and ALP deputy leader Richard Marles makes an Albanese visit less of a priority, it is not a good look – particularly when the Opposition Leader spent a day in Melbourne last week.

With four days to go until election day, and with increasing numbers taking the opportunity to vote early, the last thing the ALP needs is for the people of Corangamite feeling their vote had been taken for granted.