A Liberal Party campaign vehicle was involved in an accident at an early voting centre in western Sydney, causing considerable damage and necessitating a delay in voting operations for several days. The truck, adorned with promotional materials for Rattan Virk, the Liberal candidate for Greenway, crashed into the portico of the Quakers Hill Community Centre yesterday.
Footage captured shortly after the incident shows an individual hurriedly removing Virk’s signage from the truck. A spokesperson for the NSW Liberal Party issued an apology, yet did not comment on the video of the signage being taken down. The spokesperson stated, “Yesterday, a truck delivering materials to Quakers Hill Community Hall dislodged a portico,” and expressed regret for any disruption caused to the local community. The campaign team reportedly contacted the relevant authorities and cooperated with them during the incident response.
Rattan Virk is contesting the Greenway seat in the current federal election, which is held by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland with a margin of just under 8 per cent. Following the crash, the voting venue was closed on Tuesday as efforts were made to remove the truck from the collapsed roof. The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed that the Quakers Hill Pre-Poll Voting Centre would remain closed due to the damage, emphasizing that they were assessing the situation to determine whether the venue could reopen or if an alternative location would be necessary.
Early voting officially commenced on April 22 in preparation for the election scheduled for May 3, but the damaged facility hindered the process for voters in the region. The incident adds another layer of complexity to the election campaign, particularly for Virk as he seeks to make an impact in the challenging political landscape of Greenway.