Tag Archives: oceania

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Poll shows Liberals on edge of losing seat they've held since 1949

The Liberal Party is facing a new headache in the previously safe seat of Mackellar, with independent candidate Sophie Scamps releasing a poll showing her neck-and-neck with sitting MP Jason Falinski.

The poll, conducted by UComms for the Scamps campaign, showed her polling 31 per cent of the primary vote, just one point behind Falinski.

A statement from Scamps' campaign said a "strong majority of preferences" were being directed in her direction.

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Sophie Scamps is a local GP and former Olympian running as a 'teal independent'.

Labor is polling at 15 per cent and the Greens at nearly nine per cent.

The campaign says the poll shows momentum for Scamps, gaining seven points in primary support since a poll last month.

The seat, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, has been held by the Liberal Party since its inception in 1949.

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Jason Falinski has held the seat of Mackellar since 2016.

Mackellar stretches from Dee Why and Frenchs Forest up to Palm Beach.

While the seat has drawn less national attention than others with the so-called "teal independents" running, Scamps has built up a strong local profile.

The Narrabeen GP and 1992 Olympic athlete is running a campaign focused on climate action.

The Coalition is facing a serious challenge in seats that have been considered in the bag for the Liberals for generations, thanks to high-profile independents.

READ MORE: AEC investigating misleading signs targeting independents

Sophie Scamps has focused her campaign around climate issues.

The seats include Wentworth, North Sydney, Kooyong and Hughes.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison decried the independents running in Liberal seats.

"If they won't tell you how they would vote, how could you vote for them," he said.

"We've seen the weakness in the leadership of the Labor Party. Can you imagine having to go to that chorus of independents, the Greens, and everyone else, I mean, they're weak enough as it is."

Morrison has done little campaigning in the seats facing independent challengers.

FULL COVERAGE: Federal Election 2022

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Queensland family arrive in Mexico as search for missing mum continues

A Queensland family has arrived in Mexico to join the search for missing mum Tahnee Shanks, who hasn't been seen in almost a week.

The international search is ramping up for the 32-year-old from the Whitsundays, whose two-year-old daughter Adelynn was found abandoned in a local church in Cancun.

The toddler was found shoeless and without either of her parents, but is now in the custody of the family.

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Queensland family arrives in Mexico for Tahnee Shanks' daughter.

The little girl has also been issued an emergency Australian passport.

Shanks' brother, Daniel Shanks, said yesterday the family has no confidence they will find the missing mother.

"We're doing our best to keep it together but it's pretty tough at the moment," he said.

"I've got no confidence in finding Tahnee to be honest."

Tahnee Shanks has been missing for days after her daughter was abandoned outside a church in Cancun.

Shank's family is offering a $5000 reward for anyone with information about her whereabouts.

Shanks had been living in Mexico with her partner and Adelynn's father, Jorge Aguirre Estudillo, and was holidaying in the country's south when she disappeared.

Her brother confirmed the relationship between his sister and Estudillo had begun to deteriorate, with Shanks considering a return to Australia.

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Witnesses say they believe it was Estudillo who left the young child at the church.

"We've got three eyewitnesses telling us that, verifying it was him. And Tahnee's the one missing," Shanks said.

"And he's on the run, as far as we're concerned."

Shanks said he was initially contacted by his sister's concerned ex-boyfriend after the young mum went silent on social media.

She has not been heard from since Sunday.

Mexican police have obtained CCTV of the car the family was using leaving their residence.

"We do know they've gone to Tahnee's residence … gone inside and searched the place, got CCTV footage of the vehicle leaving," Shanks said.

He added the car the family had been driving was recently found dumped in Cancun, two hours from their travel destination in Tulum.

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Estudillo is wanted for questioning but has not been located by authorities.

Mexican authorities have filed a missing persons report while police in Australia confirmed they are doing what they can.

"If it involves someone who should be in Queensland, or was meant to be coming back, we will be involved in that to find out what's gone on and get answers for that family," Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.