Aston byelection: voters in the former Liberal stronghold hold Peter Dutton’s future in their hands

Labor’s candidate for the Aston byelection, Mary Doyle, hands out how to vote cards at Boronia community church. The downfall of a once-loved local member may have turned some voters off the Liberals but cost of living is top of mind for many. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

Wedged between two of Melbourne’s busiest roads and the Dandenong Ranges sits an outer suburban electorate which has garnered little attention for more than three decades, thanks to its status as a safe Liberal seat.

But on Saturday, the result of Aston’s byelection could determine the future direction of the Liberal party. A loss – or even a narrow win – would not only spell trouble for the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, but the Liberal brand as a whole, which has taken a beating the past year.