ACT election: Doorknocking first-timers continue the street tradition

Hitting the pavement is still how it is done, going home to home to hand out a flyer and encourage not only a vote for their party, but a crucial number one next to their name under the Hare-Clark electoral model.

For Labor's Jennifer Newman and the Liberals' Paul Sweeney, the start of spring marks about halfway on their calendar of doorknocking on their own behalf (each was also fronting doors before July 2 for federal colleagues).

They each have their style and well-worn opening lines, but whether it's door one or 4001 since their seven-day-a-week streetwalks began two months ago, each response can be different.

"I'm so sick of this government, I'd move from Canberra but my wife won't let me."

"I think we should have a monorail instead of a light rail."

"Liberals, no thank you."

These were the most colourful responses The Canberra Times heard as we followed Ms Newman around Waramanga and Mr Sweeney around Holt on separate afternoons. Some were passionate, but no one was particularly rude.

Ms Newman, 32, who resigned as a personal injury lawyer with Blumers after a decade on August 24 to focus solely on the campaign, had an open-ended approach to those who were at home. She would say she was the Labor candidate and then ask whether there were any issues the resident wanted to raise with her.

If there was no anti-Labor response she would end by asking for a number one vote on October 15. Apart from the monorail alternative, light rail was not mentioned once by candidate or resident.

Mr Sweeney, 42, was more targeted in his discussions. After introducing himself generally as "a Liberal guy and I'm here to win your vote", the man who resigned as a prosecutor in late June handed over some flyers and went straight to his binary policy pitch. "I want to rip up the tram and I want to build a hospital," he said.

He carries a hard copy of the party's policies in case he is asked a question on areas that are "not my specialty", but acknowledges it is extremely rare for a two-way chat on policy details. He encourages residents to refer to his flyers, keeping most conversations brief even when with a receptive local.

Both candidates have patience and a positive attitude.

"There's always going to be people angry at you - it's the rational middle we're after," Mr Sweeney said.

It's the opposite of the presidential style of campaigning that TV presents during a federal campaign, with not a single verbal mention of Andrew Barr or Jeremy Hanson during a combined four hours-plus with the pair.

Each doorknocks only during daylight hours, leaving after hours for calls for Ms Newman while Mr Sweeney limits his night-time campaigning to letterboxing. When doorknocking, the flyers are left on the doorstep when no one's home.

We got through 25 homes with Ms Newman in about 75 minutes doorknocking before we head to a stall at Waramanga. Only six lead to a genuine conversation with a resident.

"The stats today are just like an election – two people who say I won't vote for Labor, two who say I will, and a big chunk who say, 'I'll see how I go'."

Ms Newman's Woden-Weston seat of Murrumbidgee is the only one without a standing Labor MLA. In theory, this would make it easier for her to be elected than having to climb above a well-known Labor name, provided the party received a similar share of the vote to 2012, which would deliver it at least two of the five seats. But the flipside is whether five relatively unknown candidates will lose some combined share of the vote without the profile of an MLA (all bar one of whom are ministers) leading the way.

Mr Sweeney, wearing a field jacket that has enough pockets for a combat soldier, gets through 75 houses in about two hours and 20 minutes.

More people are home than in Waramanga, with nearly half opening the door, but of those a sizeable number said "no thanks" quickly without taking a flyer.

Vicki Dunne is the only Liberal MLA running alongside Mr Sweeney in the Belconnen seat of Ginninderra, and the former policeman said the Hare-Clark model meant no one could be complacent.

"It compels every candidate, no matter who they are, to get out there and meet people," he said.

Ms Newman said the occasional danger was of the canine variety, with one Labor candidate getting bitten on the leg (she assured us he was fine).

Both candidates credit their mothers as inspiration for lives of public service. Each has a direct interest in stamping out domestic violence, with Ms Newman on the board of the Domestic Violence Crisis Service and Mr Sweeney having been on the front line during his police and court years.

But six weeks from polling day, unsurprisingly the key words on the street differ depending upon who you talk to.

The economy and the tram are "about even" as the most common policy issues raised, "but I get just as many positive comments on light rail as I do negative", Ms Newman said.

"I've had lots of people tell me they've just been or will soon need to go to the hospital, I haven't had one tell me we need the tram," Mr Sweeney said.