Peter Westmore
The retirement of Mike Kelly, the popular local ALP member in the marginal seat of Eden-Monaro, was always going to make it difficult for Labor leader Anthony Albanese, facing his first by-election test.
The history of by-elections very strongly suggested that Labor would comfortably hold the seat. Historically, the average swing against governments in by-elections is about 2.2 per cent, and the last time a governing party won a by-election formerly held by the opposition wa…
