Federal promises by both parties for Mayo by-election dwarfed by those made for other seats

THE Mayo electorate has been promised more than $20 million of federal project funding by major parties ahead of Saturday’s by-election. But, as we discovered, compared to other states, it’s being short-changed.

• Visit: Sharkie circles amid awkward Downer cameo
• Rebekha Sharkie still leading Mayo fight against Georgina Downer
• Roads and rivers are the key to Mayo by-election vote

PROMISES don’t mean a lot to the voters of Mayo until they are delivered.
Centre Alliance candidate and former member Rebekha Sharkie knows this well, and if re-elected at this Saturday’s by-election, she plans to again knock on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s door asking him to cough up what the Liberal Party has pledged during the campaign.

Mayo is one of five federal seats to host a by-election on what has been dubbed Super Saturday. But The Advertiser can reveal that the Coalition and Labor have taken a penny-pinching approach to win over voters, compared to their pork-barrelling campaigns in Tasmania and Queensland.

It follows the release of polling that showed Ms Sharkie was 18 points clear of her opponent, Liberal candidate Georgina Downer.

Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at Mt Lofty House in Crafers, with Liberal candidate Georgina Downer. AAP Image/David Mariuz

Mayo has been promised just $22 million for infrastructure and health care projects by the Coalition, the equivalent of around $200 per voter. Labor has pledged a
new MRI Medicare-rebatable licence — a cost of $1.6 million a year — if it wins the next federal election. That equates to about $15 per voter.
Ms Sharkie’s promises are uncosted.

However, both major parties have pledged to splash more than five times the cash to win over voters in the Tasmanian seat of Braddon. Labor has pledged more than $140 million and the LNP almost $120 million to several projects.

Centre Alliance candidate Rebekha Sharkie campaigning at Mt Barker on Tuesday with former Liberal Party leader Alexander Downer looking on. AAP Image/David Mariuz) NO ARCHIVING

In the Queensland seat of Longman, the LNP has pledged $42 million and Labor a total of $82 million, as Opposition leader Bill Shorten’s future faces scrutiny if losses occur in both states.

In the other two by-election contests of Perth and Fremantle, considered safe Labor seats and uncontested by the Coalition, Labor has offered little to voters. Despite high-profile cabinet ministers including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, making appearances in the electorate to back the return of the blue ribbon seat by the Downer dynasty, Mayo voters are sceptical about the promises being delivered.

Mt Barker pensioner Margaret, who refused to give her last name, said she used to vote for the major parties but “promises are made to be broken”. This time, she voted for Ms Sharkie because she was “a good local member”.

When Liberal candidate Ms Downer was asked if she was happy with the number of projects that her party had already pledged money to, she said: “yeah, I am really pleased with what I have been able to deliver so far but there is a lot more that needs to be done”.

Ms Downer attributed the cash splash in Braddon and Longman to each seat having “its own particular challenges, infrastructure challenges and the like” and said if elected, she plans to fight to relieve congestion developing on the South Eastern Freeway along with a complete interchange at Hahndorf, and the redevelopment of the Goolwa wharf.

“They are three things if elected that I will be pushing for very strongly in the Liberal party room and with the Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack,” she said.

“I am committed to making sure the people of Mayo get adequate infrastructure investment, support for the tourism and agriculture industries that are so important here to create jobs, that we get our mobile black spots fixed, and improve safety on our regional roads.

Labor candidate Reg Coutts did not return The Advertiser’s calls for comment.

Mayo frontrunner Ms Sharkie said $20 million worth of promises pledged at the 2016 election were delivered.

“That might be considered small fry in other electorates but that was more than we have ever been promised and the same with this by-election,” Ms Sharkie said.

“Marginal seats get offers by the parties. If I had not have run, Mayo would be offered zero.” She welcomed ministers coming with open cheque books but said promises need to be made for the electorate, “not to keep a candidate or to give a candidate a job”.
Gemmells resident Mark, who would not give his surname, has lived in the Mayo electorate for 34 years, and said people’s welfare and financial stability should come before project funding in marginal seats. “People are struggling and families are breaking up (due to economic pressures),” he said.

Hahndorf resident Alex, 67, said Mayo and seats across the country needed more support from the Federal Government.