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  • 5 hours ago
There are 47 seats in South Australia’s Lower House, but only one of them is empty this state election. Residents in Mount Gambier have been without an MP for six-months after former member Troy Bell was sent to jail. Next week they will choose a new representative from a crowd of 11 candidates.

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00:02Troy Bell no longer represents Mount Gambier, but the jailed MP still has a presence.
00:07I would say more people speak more highly of him than the opposite.
00:11How are you feeling today Troy?
00:13The former Liberal turned independent was jailed last year for theft and fraud, leaving the city he represented for 11
00:18years without an MP and stunning his former office manager.
00:21When the findings came out, I probably was genuinely shocked, but yeah, you know, these things happen I guess.
00:30Travis Fatchin kept working in the electorate office after his boss was jailed. Now he's running to replace Bell as
00:36an independent.
00:37In effect he's got the gift of incumbency.
00:40Rory McEwen was Mount Gambier's MP for 13 years. He says Mr Fatchin is a clear front runner in what
00:47he calls a safe independent seat.
00:49Travis is not Troy. He's got a different set of skills, but he does bring to the electorate what we
00:56expect.
00:57For an area that should be conservative blue ribbon territory, the Liberals have a dire record in Mount Gambier.
01:04The party's won this seat just once since 1997, with voters repeatedly putting their trust in independence, even one who
01:11was facing serious criminal charges.
01:13Local lawyer Lamorna Anderson is trying to convince voters to give the Liberal party another shot, but it's not always
01:20easy.
01:20How are you?
01:23Got that one?
01:24Like Mr Fatchin, she's campaigning on healthcare, a new radiotherapy centre and roads.
01:30I'd say the roads are pretty bad.
01:31The roads are really bad.
01:32But she's aware of her party's challenge.
01:34There is a perception here in Mount Gambier where an independent voice is a voice of the community and that's
01:40just simply not true.
01:41Eleven candidates are running in Mount Gambier, including One Nation, Labor and two other independents.
01:47Go Cody!
01:50The city's six month wait for an MP is set to end next week.
01:53The people who want you to make the best of honour today.
01:53They make something great today's call, but there are artists who want you to hear from
01:55spared vs.
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