Kate Ellis v. Christopher Pyne debate: Location v. inclusion — what matters most?

Outgoing Liberal and Labor stalwarts Kate Ellis and Christopher Pyne debate the issues that matter most for them in the upcoming federal election.

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In the Great Britain of the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th centuries, it was more common than not that a Member of Parliament would live in London and represent a seat far from where they lived.

Winston Churchill lived in London and represented Dundee in Scotland for many years. The Member would visit the seat at election time to campaign for re-election. Hardly, a wholehearted embrace of their constituents.

Happily, today, almost every aspiring Member of the House of Representatives lives in the seat they seek to represent.

There are almost 70,000 households in the Federal Electorate of Sturt stretching from Glen Osmond Rd in the south to Grand Junction Rd in the north; the City of Adelaide in the west to the Foothills in the east. You would think that somewhere in that large expanse, both major political parties, Liberal and Labor would be able to find candidates for this election who lived locally.

Liberal candidate for Sturt James Stevens

Retiring Member for Sturt Christopher Pyne

Sadly no.

The Labor candidate for my former seat lives in the exclusive suburb of Walkerville, outside the electorate. The Labor candidate grew up in NSW and moved to South Australia — something of course, to be welcomed.

But surely Labor could have found a local candidate to run? Let’s face it — living in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs is hardly a “hardship posting”. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find a Labor supporter among the 124,000 eligible voters in the eastern and north eastern suburbs to carry the red banner into next month’s election battle.

The Liberal candidate, James Stevens, lives in Kent Town. He was born in the seat at the Queen Victoria Hospital, went to school in the seat and has spent most of his lifetime living and working in the area. Of course, it is not compulsory to live in the seat you represent.

Former premier Mike Rann famously lived in Norwood and represented a North Western suburbs seat in the State Parliament. State Labor minister Michael O’Brien represented Napier in the city’s northern suburbs and lived in salubrious Springfield.

PODCAST: ELLIS AND PYNE: EPISODE 1

But while it isn’t compulsory to live in the seat you represent, I think it is important to do so. It shows you get the area, know its people, know how they live, where they shop, take part in sport, leisure and community activity.

When you live in a seat, you become part of its fabric, you have a special relationship with the people you represent.

If you don’t, it’s almost as though you are using the seat as a vehicle for your own ambitions rather than to serve others.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE IS DEFENCE MINISTER AND THE OUTGOING LIBERAL MP FOR STURT.

Vision is clear, despite the fog

By Kate Ellis

THIS week, I learnt how quickly you can make the transition from engaged political player to bemused and increasingly cynical voter who just wants to hear of some vision and real plans for the nation.

I know what this election is about, but from the outside it can be really hard to hear anything other than politicking and focus group-approved key lines.

It has taken Scott Morrison just one week to confirm he has no vision for Australia. No vision for schools, no vision for health, no compassion for average families.

But he doesn’t care about that — because the Liberals have made it clear that their only strategy is to attack Labor and Bill Shorten, while offering no plans or vision for our nation’s future.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten

At the same time, he runs around pretending to be some kind of economic guru.

There are two key problems with this approach. The first is that their economic record — and Morrison’s record as Treasurer — is a doozy. Just this week it has been confirmed that net debt has more than doubled in the six years of the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Liberal Government; that their alleged “surplus” is only built on a massive underspend in the NDIS, and the Government would need to cut a further $40 billion from our schools and hospitals to deliver their promised tax cuts for high-income earners.

The second problem is even more fundamental. Scott Morrison’s approach to the economy has shown him too narrow a man to lead our nation.

Retiring Labor Member for Adelaide Kate Ellis

Not only has he proven that he only cares about looking after the top end of town, he’s not talking about anything else. Someone needs to tell Mr Morrison that he is running for prime minister, not applying for a job as an accountant. Labor believes that sound economic management is the bedrock of good government. It’s why we embraced the reforms of the Hawke Keating era and steered Australia through the ravages of the Global Financial Crisis with stimulus measures aimed at saving Australian jobs.

If elected, we will govern prudently again.

But there is more to governing than managing an economy soundly and it is here where Bill Shorten is putting Mr Morrison to shame. It’s about creating an inclusive economy that looks after working and middle class Australians. While the Liberals, having tried to shield the banks from a long overdue royal commission, and now offer a tax bonanza for people earning more than $200,000, Labor is putting forward a vision for all Australians that encapsulates the belief in a fair go.

Bill Shorten and his team has outlined detailed and costed plans to fix our schools and hospitals, create a clean energy future, ensure fairness for workers and deliver a strong economy that actually benefits all Australians and not just the big end of town.

Every time Scott Morrison talks about the economy, remember who he is talking about — the top end of town.

KATE ELLIS IS THE OUTGOING LABOR MEMBER FOR ADELAIDE