Llew O’Brien, Geoff Williams reveal Wide Bay election promises

The fight for the Wide Bay federal seat is well underway with the candidates battling it out to be elected when the public votes on May 21. Here are what the candidates for the two major parties are promising for the Wide Bay so far.

LNP'S Llew O'Brien and Labor’s Geof Williams have made their parties’ government election promises a key part of their own campaigns in the fight for the Wide Bay.

The major parties’ key promises have emerged as the main battlegrounds in the battle for the Wide Bay seat with both the LNP and Labor candidates putting them front and centre in the campaign.

Party promises have so far formed a key part of the election campaigns of incumbent Nationals candidate Llew O’Brien and Labor’s Geoff Williams while those specifically for the Wide Bay so far few and far between.

In Wide Bay-specific promises Mr O’Brien has said a re-elected LNP Government would commit to a $1.25m for the Noosa Tigers Health and Wellness Centre, and extend the distribution priority area designation at Cooroy and the Noosa hinterland for another year.

It was the party’s policy-based promises which were proving a key part of the clash.

The LNP has announced at the end of April if re-elected it will cut the price of medicines on the PBS scheme $10, from $42.50 to $32.50, a policy commitment welcomed by Mr O’Brien on Facebook and his official website.

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese announced only days later at his campaign launch Labor’s would reduce the cost by by $12.50, meaning the “maximum price for PBS medicines will be $30”.

LNP‘s Llew O’Brien and Labor’s Geoff Williams have made their parties’ government election promises a key part of their own campaigns in the fight for the Wide Bay.

Another policy supported by Mr O’Brien during the campaign was an LNP commitment to changes to the singles income test threshold of the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.

This would increase it from $57,761 to around $90,000 from July 1 this year, giving more senior Australians access to the concession card.

The couple’s threshold will also be increased from $92,416 to $144,000.

Labor has said it would match this policy.

Mr Williams said the Wide Bay’s top priorities were the same ones felt nationwide including “unemployment and underemployment, secure work, social and affordable housing and health and aged care”.

“I feel Gympie would benefit from Labor‘s proposed $200m per year disaster prevention and mitigation policy, it would help with improving evacuation centres for times when Gympie floods and also install flood mitigation measures to aid in reducing their impact,” Mr Williams said.

“The same policy could aid in flood proofing communications, since the February floods I have been contacted by a number of people right throughout the Wide Bay that every time we get a good influx of rain their internet and phones go out, these include landlines.

Promises for cheaper prescription medicine and changes to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card threshold, made by the LNP should the party led by Scott Morrison be re-elected have been matched, by opposition leader Anthony Albanese.

“Labor will deliver at least 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, to take pressure off our emergency departments, we could do with one or two of these in the Gympie/Cooloola coast area.”

Mr O’Brien said he stood by his track record since first being elected in 2016.

“It’s well known that I don’t take a backward step, and I’m prepared to challenge both the opposition and my own side to always put Wide Bay first and foremost to get the right result,” Mr O’Brien said.

“From the time I was elected, I have fought for safer roads, and in particular, a safer Bruce Highway through Wide Bay.”

“If re-elected I will continue my work to create jobs, like the $5 million I secured towards the $18 million expansion of Nolan Meats, creating 200 new positions; and the $28.5 million investment in Rheinmetall Nioa Munitions in Maryborough, bringing the defence industry jobs to the Fraser Coast; and I’m supporting Maryborough producers with $18 million for off-stream water storage at Glendorf.”

Mr O’Brien is the odds-on favourite over Mr Williams to win the seat according to gambling houses, but the Labor Party is favoured to form government at the May 21 election.