Series
Inside Aston: Liberal Party faces moment of truth
The Liberal Party will try to hold on to Aston, the once-safe Liberal seat vacated by Alan Tudge, as Labor pushes for an upset victory in the upcoming byelection. The Age will publish updates from reporters in the field covering issues affecting voters in the lead-up to the poll on Saturday, April 1.
Three dead road projects drive key debate in battle for Aston
Upgrades to Dorset, Wellington and Napoleon roads in Melbourne’s outer east were announced by the former Coalition government but scrapped by Labor last year. Now they are a focus of the federal byelection fight.
- Paul Sakkal
- Exclusive
Labor candidate’s push for ‘more ordinary people in parliament’
Mary Doyle has had her fair share of challenges. But Labor’s candidate in the Aston byelection says they have given her the real-world experience she thinks is lacking in Canberra.
- Annika Smethurst
- Aston
Roshena Campbell will make history for the Liberal Party, win or lose
The Liberal candidate for Aston wants to be a champion for the local community but also her party’s attempt to win back professional women and multicultural voters.
- Annika Smethurst
A Rowville train line was proposed 54 years ago. Aston residents are still waiting
Katrina Marques, who is raising her three school-aged children in Melbourne’s outer east, says a lack of public transport is the most important issue to her ahead of Saturday’s byelection. But she isn’t expecting much after years of empty promises.
- Lachlan Abbott
Cost of living, housing crisis front of mind for Aston’s early voters
Many voters in the outer Melbourne seat of Aston were frustrated to be back at the polling booths so soon after the recent state and federal elections.
- Melissa Cunningham
Labor targets Campbell’s childcare ‘hypocrisy’ ahead of Aston byelection
The Liberal Party’s candidate for the Aston byelection, Roshena Campbell, has previously criticised Labor’s expanded childcare policies despite claims she had childcare costs subsidised by Melbourne ratepayers.
- Broede Carmody
- Aston
Mortgage-heavy Aston hit hard by rising rates and cost of living ahead of byelection
Food relief hubs in Aston have had a surge in demand, and residents say candidates for the upcoming federal byelection must address the key issue of cost of living.
- Lachlan Abbott
- Exclusive
Liberals try to win back Chinese-Australians as byelection goes down to the wire
As the Aston byelection nears, the Liberals are trying to counter a narrative that the party’s criticisms of the Chinese government have been aimed at the Chinese community in Australia.
- Anthony Galloway and Paul Sakkal
- Opinion
A tight win in Aston won’t give Dutton the job security he craves
A star candidate and the cost-of-living crisis may not be enough to secure the outer eastern Melbourne seat for the Liberals.
- Annika Smethurst
Pauline Hanson out of Aston byelection to help Libs, Labor launches attack ads
Campaigning in the marginal seat in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs will rise this weekend as Labor launches attack ads branding Opposition Leader Peter Dutton as “Liberal leftovers”.
- Annika Smethurst and Paul Sakkal
- Exclusive
Labor minister slams Aston Liberal candidate over childcare column
Anne Aly has seized on a column Liberal candidate Roshena Campbell wrote for The Age that questioned “throw[ing] taxpayer money at childcare”.
- Paul Sakkal and James Massola
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