As we foreshadowed in our last edition of The Bugle View, the election has been called for 3 May 2025, alas, we were one week off in our prediction! However, we were right about one thing – the announcements and commitments from both sides of politics are coming thick and fast.

As reported by The Bugle, Fiona Phillips MP recently spruiked the benefits for the division of Gilmore as a result of increased funding for the Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND) program. Part of the $14 million boost will go to 18 sites in Gilmore from Ulladulla to Kangaroo Valley.

Not to be outdone, Liberal candidate Andrew Constance announced an allocation of $840,000 to complete the Gerry Emery Oval clubhouse project at Gerringong. Mr Constance threw down the gauntlet to the incumbent Labor MP, challenging the Government to match the funding commitment. We are yet to hear a response.

Here here, we say. The more the merrier. Show us the money!

Our community is in a rare and unique position. As the most marginal key seat in this election, talking heads across the country will be commentating about Ms Phillips, Mr Constance and the division of Gilmore a lot over the coming weeks. Some pundits say that the result in Gilmore could be key to delivering a majority government.

Last time around at the 2022 election, just 373 votes separate the two and the narrow victory to Ms Phillips handed Anthony Albanese a narrow majority. This time around, it could be a different story.

While Ms Phillips won the seat, she received fewer first-preference votes than Mr Constance by around 6700 votes.

Through the compulsory preferential voting system, the rest of 24,589 first-preference votes were filtered through all the other candidates until only Mr Constance and Ms Phillips remained, and ultimately this is where Ms Phillips won the day.

Through preferences, the Labor incumbent was able to make up the 6700 vote deficit and come through with 372 votes to spare.

So, whilst it looks to be a two-horse race in Gilmore, it may be those that initially vote for Kate Dezarnaulds (Independent), Debbie Killian (Greens) or Graham Brown (Family First), and how they preference other candidates, that will decide the result.

Back in 2022, more than 5000 people or almost 5% of the voting population submitted informal votes. In an election where just 373 votes determined the result, this is a massive number. Whilst some of us no doubt submitted protest votes, others may have genuinely been trying to engage in their democratic right/duty but made a slight mistake. People, it might be a cliché in some parts of the country – but in Gilmore, your vote matters!

Over the next four weeks, our votes will shape the country for the next three years. Sure, we want the major parties to show us the money and give us our fair share of funding, But if history is any judge – one in five of us will not put Labor or Liberal as our first preference and it is this 20% of the population that may hold the key to the election result for Gilmore.

The Bugle View is that we all have a duty to vote, and vote correctly, because in Gilmore – our vote really matters.