INDEPENDENT MP Troy Bell stands to win the seat of Mount Gambier in a landslide at the State election next month, according to recent polling conducted by the South Australian Forest Products Association.
With Labor outpolling the Liberal Party in primary votes and the independent rating higher than the two major parties, Mr Bell would win the seat with an eight per cent margin.
The poll results show Labor candidate Katherine Davies is preferred over Liberal candidate Ben Hood by almost three percentage points.
Out of the 402 respondents to the poll, Ms Davies received 22.5 per cent of the primary votes with Mr Hood receiving 20.2 per cent.
Mr Bell received 35.7 per cent of the primary vote.
After preferences are distributed, on a two candidate preferred basis, according to the poll Mr Bell would finish with 58 per cent of the final vote with Ms Davies at 42 per cent.
A positive sign for the Liberal Party was that 40.8 per cent of those polled believed the Liberal Party was the preferred party to lead the State’s economic recovery out of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Labor polling second at 26.1 per cent.
Responding to the poll, Mr Bell said he would not take the results too seriously and would instead focus on the up-and-coming election.
“These polls are a guide only and there is only one poll that matters which will be held on March 19,” Mr Bell said.
Ms Davies also said she would focus on the election.
“Labor has wholeheartedly thrown its support behind our region, and I look forward to continuing to share that message,” Ms Davies said.
Mr Hood said with less than 40 days to the election, his sole focus would remain with his local campaign.
“I am not quiet about how much I love Mount Gambier and am 100 per cent focused on delivering better outcomes for the community in Mount Gambier,” Mr Hood said.
The polling states that the margin for error could be plus or minus 4.85 per cent.
