As Labor candidate Anne Aly battles to become the first Muslim woman elected to Federal Parliament and overthrow a Liberal stranglehold on the seat of Cowan, her thoughts this week turned to horror that unfolded a world away.
Dr Aly, an academic at Edith Cowan University and de-radicalisation expert, said having worked in the counter-terrorism "space" for 15 years there were times when she felt humankind was out to destroy itself.
The massacre of 49 people by Omar Mateen at a gay nightclub in Orlando this week has done little to dispel that.
"It's an absolute tragedy," she told Fairfax Media.
"It speaks to me about the spread of this ISIS evil ideology and how that has managed to target individuals who take it upon themselves to spread this ideology.
"The other thing that speaks to me about is this guy was known to the FBI. Time and time again we see they are known to law enforcement, but somehow they slip through the cracks.
"Something has got to be done to stop allowing people like that to slip through."
If Dr Aly wins the seat of Cowan in the northern suburbs of Perth next month - it is held by the Liberal party with a four per cent margin - she will create history and become the first Muslim woman elected to Parliament.
The 49-year-old will also be the first woman MP of Arabic background.
With a recent Fairfax polling showing a 4.5 per cent swing in Cowan - taking that contest to a dead-heat at 50-50 - Labor's high-profile candidate looks a good chance of becoming just that.
While Dr Aly is acutely aware history beckons on July 2, she doesn't shy away from criticising Liberal candidate and conservative Christian Luke Simpkins for his previous attacks on Islam.
In 2011, Mr Simpkins used his parliamentary speech to say Australians unwittingly eating Halal food were one step away from the converting to Islam.
He was then ridiculed on social media in January last year after confusing the logo of a Perth nightclub, the Speakeasy, with an Islamic Shahada flag favoured by jihadists.
"If you are going to be a representative or a leader it is your responsibility to be informed," Dr Aly said.
"There is absolutely no excuse to have uninformed or misinformed opinions and speaking those in Parliament.
"So I'm not offended by them, but I would expect more from someone who is a representative of the community."
Mr Simpkins, who has held the seat since 2007, claims his comments about Islam have been taken out of context.
He doesn't feel there will voter backlash in the electorate over his Halal gaffe, despite it being one of the most diverse multicultural seats in WA, with around 38 per cent of its 158,000 residents born overseas.
"I know the Labor party likes to speak that up," he said about his Halal food comments.
"There is no doubt about it. But when people read the speech in its context it's not what the headline of The West Australian was years ago."
Mr Simpkins - who was again thrust into the spotlight in February 2015 with a spill call against then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott - said while crime and infrastructure were keys issues in the electorate, people were mainly concerned about border protection.
"Labor is very wishy-washy on this and we saw it after the 2007 election," he said.
"It's not in their DNA to have strong borders. And as Bill Shorten tries to keep control of the various elements within his party, there will be breakouts on that as well.
"We have already seen it and my opponent has already spoken about a more humane approach.
"It's certainly a concern and I hear it a lot."
He also took a swipe at Dr Aly for not living in the electorate of Cowan.
"I think people like to know their candidate does have a connection in the area and they have a long term connection in the area," he said.
"I've lived in Cowan for 15 years now... whereas my opponent was tapped on the shoulder in the last six months to run.
"Where is the commitment?"
Dr Aly scoffed at suggestions living outside the electorate would cost her votes.
"I've been very open from the beginning I don't live in the electorate and as I mentioned it's a huge electorate around 180 square kilometres," she said.
"I wouldn't be so arrogant to assume just because I live in Greenwood, I know what's going on in Lockridge.
"[But] I don't buy just because you live locally you know what's going on throughout the entire electorate."
If Labor has any chance of forming government it must pick up the WA seats of Cowan and Burt.
Either way, a seat that involves a conservative Christian against a Muslim woman should make for compelling viewing ahead of the July 2 poll.
