North Sydney seat goes to polls to elect a new incumbent in place of Joe Hockey

Polling for the North Sydney seat that was left vacant by former Treasurer Joe Hockey as Malcolm Turnbull took over the role of Prime Minister by replacing Tony Abbott from the office. Trent Zimmerman, Hockey’s ex-staffer and former acting president of the NSW Liberals is contesting the seat for the Liberals and is also being widely tipped to win.

Thirteen candidates participated for the 2015 North Sydney by-elections, which is considered one of the safest federal Liberal seats in the country. Zimmerman’s name appeared at the tenth position on the ballot paper.

Since 1900s the seat was held by traditional conservative parties. Independent electorate Ted Mack a held the seat for a short period of six years, in the 1900s. The seat went to Hockey in 2013, by 66 percent margin.

The Labor hasn’t fielded a candidate for the seat as it has never come close to winning the North Sydney seat, but the Greens and the Palmer United party have all pitched their candidates. The Greens are so far the closest competition to the Liberals. In the 2013 elections it managed to secure a little above 15 percent vote.

"It's a tough contest," the SBS quoted him as telling the reporters on Saturday after casting his vote at Waverton. "I don't think you can take any seat for granted anymore."

He said that he has been spending seven days a week chatting with people for the past six weeks. He added that though voters seem optimistic about the positive agenda of Turnbull, they are still concerned about how the federal government is planning to improve the local transport and protect the environment.

CANDIDATES IN NORTH SYDNEY BY-ELECTION

1. Lou Pollard, The Arts Party

2. William Bourke, Sustainable Population Party

3. Sam Kennard, Liberal Democrats

4. Kerry Susanne Bromson, Voluntary Euthanasia Party

5. James Jansson, Future Party

6. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, The Greens

7. Maryann Bergei, independent

8. Silvana Nero, Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group)

9. Robert James Marks, Palmer United Party

10. Trent Zimmerman, Liberal

11. Stephen Ruff, Independent