‘Tough Fight’: By-election Campaign Enters Final Week

Candidates in a federal by-election are making their final pitches to voters as the government gears up for its first major ballot-box litmus test. The Dunkley electorate, located in Melbourne’s southeast will go to a by-election on March 2 after Labor MP Peta Murphy died in December following a battle with breast cancer. Labor holds the seat with a 6.3 percent margin, but during by-elections, the swing in government-held seats is generally around 7 percent, putting the electorate within reach for the Liberal Party. Standing alongside Labor candidate Jodie Belyea, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the difficulty of the battle. “We know that it’s a tough fight,” he told Seven’s Sunrise from Frankston on Sunday....