On the campaign trail

Last week I was out bush helping with mobile polling in the southern part of the Victoria River District.
As voting is compulsory in Australia, everyone has to be seen to be given the chance to vote.
So the Australian Electoral Commission sends out teams to collect votes in every remote community in the Territory.
And each political party sends out workers to hand out how to vote cards and soothe theircandidates
Where it's really remote, they come in by helicopter.
We went on a roadshow - 1900 km in three days.
Here's some pics of what it was like.
From top to bottom:
Two Labor MPs, Barbara McCarthy, Member for Arnhem (left) and Marion Scrymgour. Member for Arafura and Minister for Environment and Heritage, among other things, with a very tall punter who was keen to have his pic taken with them. Basketball (or in Kriol basgitbol) anyone?.
Brolgas can't vote. But that didn't deter this tame brolga (or Native Compantion, one of Australia's two true cranes) from hanging round the polling booth at Pigeon Hole.
The polling booth at Kalkaringi.
And at Daguragu, voting bush style.