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Federal Election: Boothby candidate Jo Dyer reveals who she favours

Climate 200-backed candidate Jo Dyer has all but revealed she would hand Labor her support to form government in the event of a hung parliament.

Replay: Politics and Dirty Tricks

Climate 200-backed Jo Dyer has all but revealed she would hand Labor her support to form government in the event of a hung parliament.

In a three-way debate held in the marginal SA seat of Boothby, Ms Dyer said she was hoping for a “minority Labor government” after the May 21 election.

The independent candidate said on Thursday night that she “could not support” the Coalition.

“I will be very much hoping that we can have a minority Labor government held to account by a really powerful, independent, impressive, smart, imaginative crossbench,” she said.

“I think it’s very likely that we (independents) will have the balance of power.”

Ms Dyer went up against Liberal candidate Rachel Swift and Labor’s Louise Miller-Frost in the online News Corp debate, which was dominated by climate change issues.

Neither candidate landed a killer blow, but Dr Swift revealed she thought her party could do more to tackle climate change and hit its net zero target earlier.

"I'm pleased that we've committed to net zero 2050, but I actually think we can do more," Dr Swift said.

"And if I were elected, that's exactly what people would get from me – a really strong push to deliver on that."

Ms Frost argued the Coalition needed to be booted out over its failure to return an extra 450GL of water to the River Murray for the environment.

Join Joe Hildebrand with the three key candidates for Boothby for the live debate.
Join Joe Hildebrand with the three key candidates for Boothby for the live debate.

"While the Liberal Party may say they're going to deliver it, if they form government with the Nationals, we know that it's not going to happen," Ms Frost said.

Jo Dyer who is running as an independent pictured in Mitcham Reserve. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe
Jo Dyer who is running as an independent pictured in Mitcham Reserve. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Ms Dyer said "corruption" needed to be weeded out of the water market, and accused the National Party of "conspiring" with upstream states.

She added she would push for an increase to income support payments if elected to the crossbench.

The 2019 Boothby campaign was marred after retiring Liberal MP Nicolle Flint was the subject of horrific online trolling and even stalking by left-wing activists.

But Ms Frost said this time around it had been a "fairly clean campaign".

The sprawling electorate of Boothby has been in Liberal hands since 1949, but the Coalition’s margin has been eroded to just 1.4 per cent and pollsters predict Labor will pick up the crucial seat.

It is one of the most diverse seats in the state – enveloping affluent suburbs like Glenelg at the beach and Belair in the foothills.

Through the middle of the electorate is a swath of dense suburbs in Adelaide’s south, home to thousands of middle and working class citizens.

gabriel.polychronis@news.com.au

Originally published as Federal Election: Boothby candidate Jo Dyer reveals who she favours

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/federal-election/federal-election-boothby-live-debate/news-story/d92b04beca0992880093ed3c7ff98611