Aston is a metropolitan electorate in Melbourne’s outer east. It covers 113 square kilometres taking in all of the City of Knox, including the suburbs of Wantirna, Bayswater, Knoxfield and Ferntree Gully.

Retiring member Alan Tudge was elected to the seat in 2010, which was a safe Liberal seat with a margin of 10.15% prior to last year’s 022 Federal Election. At last year’s poll, ALP candidate Mary Doyle achieved a 7.38% swing, leaving the seat with a margin of 2.8%.

Aston was won by the ALP when the seat was created in 1984, but it has been a Liberal seat since the 1990 election.

2022 Two-party preferred outcome

Source: https://results.aec.gov.au/27966/Website/HouseDivisionPage-27966-197.htm

Our Campaign

ABC Friends Victoria is campaigning to encourage Aston voters to use their vote to ensure ABC receives the funding and independence it needs.

As Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC needs access to secure, non-political funding which allows it to remain Australia’s premier provider of high quality entertainment and independent news services.

After suffering cuts of almost $800 million under the Coalition Government, the Albanese Government has made welcome commitments to:

• restore $84 million in operational funding and reintroduce indexation
• move the ABC to five-year funding, away from electoral cycles.

While welcome, these changes are a start, but not enough. We need to keep the pressure on to ensure that the parliament and the government are as pro-ABC as possible.

The Aston by-election provides ABC Friends and supporters with an opportunity to add another pro-ABC MP in Canberra, no matter what party they come from. Each candidate needs to commit to secure the ABC’s future. Voters will then be encouraged through all ABCFV campaign materials to support candidates who support a strong, independent ABC.

Get involved

ABC Friends Victoria relies on the support of volunteers, members and donors to be able to promote the importance and value of the ABC and the threats which undermine its capacity to do what we all need it to do.

Volunteer

ABC Friends has local groups across Victoria which work to raise awareness in local areas through activities such as staffing stalls, letterboxing, handing out flyers at pre-polling booths and stations.

If you would like to get involved at a local level, call our office on 1300 108 126 or email [email protected]

Join

Become an ABC Friends Victoria member and add your support to our work.

Click here to join

Donate

Your donations will assist us to get our messages across through billboards and advertising and production of key materials such as posters and flyers.

Donate here

or call the office on 1300 108 126.