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ABC News
ABC News
National
data journalist Catherine Hanrahan

If there's a federal election swing to Labor, this will be NSW's first seat to fall

The inner Sydney electorate of Reid is the most marginal Liberal seat in NSW. (ABC News.)

Away from the outer suburban mortgage belt and the teal-targeted inner-city seats, the Liberal-held electorate of Reid could be the first to fall if there is a swing to Labor in NSW this federal election.

Reid, held by the Liberals on a 3.2 per cent margin, is the state's most marginal Liberal seat on a two-party preferred basis.

Nancy Li lives in Homebush and voted Liberal at the last election.

But on May 21, she intends to give her vote to Clive Palmer's United Australia Party or One Nation. 

She is disillusioned with the two major parties and does not agree with vaccine mandates.

Nancy Li says she plans to vote for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party or One Nation.  (ABC News: Catherine Hanrahan)

"They have betrayed what they promised. They win the election but always before the election, they promise a lot," she said.

"Do you care about Australian education, the nursing homes, care of older people? Do you care about these practical things? You give me big promise. I don’t care that you make a nuclear submarine."

ABC chief election analyst, Antony Green, said that of all the Liberal seats, Reid will be the hardest to hold.

"In any statewide swing to Labor, Reid will be one of the first to fall," he said.

Green described Reid as a "quite affluent inner suburban seat", which was held by Labor for 90 years until the 2013 election.

Reid MP Fiona Martin crossed the floor of parliament to vote against the government on protections in the religious discrimination bill. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Successive redistributions moved the boundary eastwards, cutting out Labor voting territory in the west.

The seat runs along the Parramatta River and takes in suburbs like Drummoyne, Chiswick and Abbotsford.

It also extends south of Parramatta Road into Strathfield, Burwood and Croydon.

Polling data from the 2019 election shows the more affluent waterside suburbs tended to vote Liberal, while Burwood, Homebush, Lidcombe and Croydon south of Parramatta Road leaned towards Labor on a two-party preferred basis.

The exception was Strathfield, where the Liberals had 63 per cent of the vote.

Concord resident Diana, who did not wish to give her full name, described herself as a Greens and Labor voter.

She intended to vote the same way this time.

"They are preferable to what the Liberals are offering. It's probably not enough on climate but its better than the major alternative," she said.

Labor candidate Sally Sitou is of Chinese heritage.  (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Labor's candidate is Sally Sitou, who has a doctorate in business and is of Chinese heritage. 

Reid has the third largest number of people with Chinese ancestry in Australia, according to the 2016 census.

Reid MP Fiona Martin, who is a child psychologist, made headlines in February when she crossed the floor of parliament to vote against the government on protections in the religious discrimination bill.

Antony Green said the Australian Christian Lobby could campaign against Ms Martin based on that vote.

Judy Geappen with her son John. (ABC News: Catherine Hanrahan)

Over in Wareemba, religious discrimination was not front of mind for resident Judy Geappen.

The 87-year-old Liberal voter relies on a home care package to manage her disabilities.

"I've been really happy with the help and support I have personally received. That being so, why would I change? I'm voting for the incumbent," she said.

Her son John usually votes Labor but said he likes to change his vote if one party has been in government a long time.

"But this time I think I'll vote Liberal," he said.

"Its just a feeling I've got. I'm not locked in. I could change my mind but as things are going at the moment, I'll go with Liberal."

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