BY GARY LYSAGHT
In the final day before Australia go to the polls, the
candidates for Paterson have made a last ditch effort to shore up votes.
Paterson is one of the key seats this election, sitting on a
razor thin margin of just 0.5 percent, but swinging towards Labor.
The electorate was previously a safe Liberal seat until
redistributions across the Hunter saw that margin slip away as it lost part of
the north-east coast and gained traditional Labor territory.
Because of the margin, both parties have promised big for
the electorate with Labor candidate Meryl Swanson saying the groundwork’s been
done for a Labor government.
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| Meryl Swanson & Karen Howard |
“We have got the ball rolling on making our policy
announcement about Williamtown. The
government has played catch-up on that,” she said.
“We will save Medicare, we’ll properly fund our schools and
we will give people the 21st century NBN.”
Labor have promised big for Paterson, with $20 million
allocated for national blood testing for 10,000 people expected to be effected
by PFOS and PFOA as a result of RAAF base contamination.
Other promises include funding for a Heddon-Greta carpark
and an accessibility lift for Maitlald RSL.
Labor have also promised up to 19,000 homes will be
connected to the full-fibre NBN instead of the Coalition’s hybrid one.
Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Karen Howard echoed Prime
Minister Malcolm Turnbull, calling for a return of the Coalition Government.
“It’s very important at the moment that we stick
together. We need stability, we need
majority government,” she said.
“The worst possible thing for the Hunter region will be a
sea of red.”
The Coalition have also made big promises, with a $55
million package for Williamtown and other RAAF bases – more than double Labor’s
promise.
Upgrades to Kurri Kurri sports ground and mobile black spot
reduction have also been promised should the Turnbull Government be returned on
Saturday.
“I will be working extremely hard on behalf of the
communities of Williamtown and surrounds to fight for them, to make sure we deliver
on everything we’ve promised,” said Howard.
While not promising to do the same, Swanson said she would
make sure the Prime Minister knew what he constituents want, regardless of
whether that PM is Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten.
“I intend to be … an absolute champion and a strong advocate
for them in Canberra,” said Swanson.
“I’ve spend my whole life talking to people. More importantly, listening to people.”
With the Hunter being a very pro-Labor region, with local
heavyweight Joel Fitzgibbon being a stalwart in the region since 1996, Howard
is now urging residents to switch sides.
“What we’ve seen is it has been very difficult to deliver
from Opposition and that’s not an arrogant comment, that’s the reality,” she
said.
