“The message in Mayo is very clear that Rebekha Sharkie - she is not a Labor candidate but most of the time she votes for the Labor Party,” he said while campaigning in Tasmania. “I expected this would be a difficult campaign but it’s been a really fantastic time out here in Mayo and I’ve had a great reception in the community.” Ms Sharkie, the clear favourite, denied she was in a “unlosable position”. The Centre Alliance’s Rebekha Sharkie is widely expected to retain her seat despite a challenge from star recruit Georgina Downer, whose father, a former foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer, held the electorate from 1984 to 2008.
Five separate by-elections are held for five seats in the Australian House of Representatives, namely Braddon, Fremantle, Longman, Mayo and Perth, four of which were triggered by the dual citizenship crisis.