Federal election 2019: Gender problems for Coalition

An Opposition heavyweight has visited Brisbane and homed in on the Coalition’s Achilles heel he says will deliver government to Labor.

FEDERAL Opposition infrastructure and transport spokesman Anthony Albanese has used a trip to Brisbane to slam the Federal Government as out of touch with ordinary voters, and especially women, as Labor prepares an assault on electorates on Brisbane’s northside.

Mr Albanese was at Geebung announcing new funding for park ’n’ ride facilities when he said that Brisbane’s northside was a contest of contrasts between Labor and the Coalition.

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Four women will be running for Labor in the neighbouring seats of Lilley, Longman, Dickson and Petrie.

He said Labor’s female representation was in sharp contrast to the Coalition’s dumping of Jane Prentice, who lost preselection for the seat of Ryan to her former staffer and Brisbane city councillor Julian Simmonds.

“They saved (Member for the Sydney seat of Hughes) Craig Kelly, it might be noted, but did nothing to save Jane Prentice,” Mr Albanese said.

Opposition infrastructure and transport spokesman Anthony Albanese has visited Brisbane.

He praised Ms Prentice’s career in politics, but said her removal was emblematic of dysfunction in Liberal ranks.

“My view is she should be sitting on the front bench of the Coalition; she’s someone who does know something about cities and urban policies,” he said.

Labor’s candidate for Lilley, Anika Wells — who is hoping to succeed former federal treasurer and current Labor national president Wayne Swan in the seat at next year’s poll — cited gender representation as a major advantage Labor held over the Coalition in metropolitan Brisbane.

She said Labor was looking to make major gains off Brisbane’s northside off a perceived gender imbalance.

“Ryan is yet another example of where the LNP have knocked off a sitting woman MP to put in another bloke, whereas here on the northside for Labor, we are running four women across four seats,” she said.