Kate's big map

I live in the Federal seat of Adelaide and whilst being marginal it has comfortably been held by Labor's Kate Ellis with ~ 3.5% margin.
Times change and according to commentators and party polling we are told that it now down to the wire. So Adelaide may determine who forms government, but that is somewhat fanciful. More than likely it will be a barometer of how well Labor will fare elsewhere; across the nation.
It's a flurry of activity by the political parties; whilst the people blissfully go about their daily lives. I have yet to see any candidate in Adelaide out on the streets; no one has door-knocked me; no one has stopped me on the street.
Each night the phone rings a couple to times and after an uncomfortably long pause (that is longer than when an offshore Indian calls with some deal) there is a recorded message about the election. Damn calls. Quickly hang-up and get back to cooking dinner.
Each day brings letters with messages from Shorten, Turnbull and the local candidates.
Each day there is more mail. Twice as much as during the last election.
No expense is being spared by the political parties in the seat of Adelaide.
This is a strong indication of just how close the outcome will be in Adelaide.

Today I received an enormous fold-out brochure in a letter from Kate Ellis. It was huge. I had to clear the table to lay it out. It was a giant map of the seat of Adelaide, South-North from Clarence Park and Unley through Prospect, Kilburn and Enfield and out to Northfield. There are map icons everywhere eg. school upgrades, upgrade to GP facilities and storm water harvesting ... a total of 18 different icons. It even shows a tram line down Unley Road.
Near where I live there will be storm water harvesting (blue icon), two improved local spaces (green tree and bench icon) and four schools will be upgraded (blue notepad icon). The nearest upgraded GP is over at Unley on the west side of the road (red stethoscope icon).

This giant fold-out brochure from Labor candidate Kate Ellis would have to be the best political marketing sent by letter that I have seen. The cost would have been huge. $1 for postage, $3 for the colour brochure, folding, handling and envelope; $4 per household. $5 per household would not surprise me. Enough to upgrade a couple of schools.
A huge amount of money and I wonder from where it is coming.
It's a huge investment; or gamble.

The seat of Adelaide is down to the wire; so they say.
The massive and expensive advertising is proof of that.
The seat of Adelaide will be a barometer of the Federal outcome.

I still say that the people have already decided.
They decided how to vote some weeks ago; and now they are just getting on with life.

I'm not normally undecided, but with the large number of candidates I am still pondering who gets my vote at numbers 2,3,4,5,6, ... who has the most merit.
Will I vote exactly as any party has asked? No.

A final thought - I am sure that these big maps are being rolled out across Australia in all the winnable marginal seats. After the election the ALP could sell them. Simply glue them together and you get a driving map from Adelaide to Cairns. It would be an excellent guide to upgraded GP facilities, upgraded parks, new tram routes etc. To make it more saleable I would have added the op shops and best baker/pie shops in each suburb; ideal places to visit on that long drive.

Disclaimer: my thoughts are mine and I prefer not to declare how I will vote; but it is a no brainer.