Toowoomba votes: Candidates make final pitches at prepolling as voters reveal key issues
More than 60,000 residents – roughly half the electorate – will have already cast their ballots before Saturday. Here’s what some of the key candidates had to say on the eve of the election:
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Groom’s major candidates have made a last-minute pitch to the tens of thousands of residents still to vote in the federal election, with inflation, cost of living and housing dominating the conversation.
LNP incumbent Garth Hamilton, main challenger Suzie Holt were both at the CBD’s prepolling booth on Friday, alongside independent Kirstie Smolenski and One Nation’s Rebecca Konz.
It comes as more than 60,000 residents – roughly half the electorate – will have already cast their ballots before Saturday’s election day, either at early voting stations or through postal votes.
For all eight candidates’ short-pitches (including the Greens, Trumpet of Patriots and Family First), click here.
Garth Hamilton (LNP)
Mr Hamilton acknowledged his party’s diminishing chances of securing government this weekend, but believed it was driving local turnout among volunteers and supporters.
“We’ve got quite a lot of support on the ground here, we’ve been across a number of issues now, and I think this was actually feeling that wonderful thing called momentum, which is wonderful,” he said.
“There’s definitely a real risk of another three years of a Labor government that’s coming through and that risk of a minority government, and that just becomes clearer and clearer day by day – that risk is there.
“That’s probably giving a lot of people a lot of spur to keep getting out of the polling booths and fighting for the blue team.”
Mr Hamilton said his priorities for the next term if re-elected would be around addressing productivity and spending nationally, as well as trying to get the beleaguered Inland Rail project back on track.
Suzie Holt (Independent)
Ms Holt, who has drawn on a volunteer base of more than 300 people to help hand out election material and reach voters, said she believed residents were ready to embrace a new perspective.
“We’ve got a really positive feeling that people want to have a seat at the table in Canberra,” she said.
“People are really tired of the majors, they’re looking for good local representation, and I think that’s why you’re seeing the rise of particularly regional independents.
“They’re looking for that positive change of local issues down in Canberra, clearly cost of living issues, housing are the number one issues across the nation.
“So I think certainly people are looking for change, they’re sick of the divisiveness and looking for locals who will represent communities.
“The message is that they do not want a backbencher, they’re looking for a crossbencher who will get the job done.”
Kirstie Smolenski (Independent)
Ms Smolenski used her last word to paint herself as a “real independent”, in a clear reference to Ms Holt receiving about $50,000 from Climate 200.
“People are understanding what an independent can do now, but they’re also understanding that there are independents who are backed by corporations,” she said.
“I’m only beholden to the people of Groom, and that’s what people are getting excited about because they’re sick of the status quo.
“(People) want change, they’re hurting, so they do want cost of living relief — they do want housing affordability, they want housing, and they want someone to put forward proper policy, not just bits and pieces.”
Rebecca Konz (One Nation)
Ms Konz, whose primary vote could be instrumental in deciding the outcome given One Nation’s notable draw, re-enforced the party’s belief that cutting immigration would help solve the nation’s housing crisis.
“One of the main policies that we want is to reduce immigration by about half back to around net zero or so,” she said.
“That’s going to bring the pressure off the housing market, both rental and sales.”
Richard Edwards (Labor)
Labor candidate Richard Edwards, who is running in his first election, said he set out with one goal when he kicked off his campaign earlier this year.
“The focus for us hasn’t been to try and reclaim second place or try and claim first place – the goal for us has been to communicate with our community, get our message across and really listen and build that connection with people here in Groom,” he said.
“It hasn’t been about trying to one-up other candidates, it’s about responding to what the concerns of people in our region are.”
Mr Edwards reminded voters that if Labor was returned to power, as polling was indicating, then he would be the only Groom candidate guaranteed with a seat at the table.
“When we look at the performance of Labor in this past term, we’ve delivered tax cuts, we’ve lifted wages, inflation has been brought down and interest rates are starting to fall,” he said.
“There have been many concerns raised and those are the concerns that I want to bring forward and make sure that we continue to address every day that government sits.”
Revealed: The issues motivating voters at the ballot box
News Corp quizzed a range of voters during early voting on Friday, asking for the top issue that motivated their first preference.
Here are their answers and who they voted for:
Phillip (Suzie Holt, independent)
“Garth Hamilton has been the member here for ages, and I just thought let’s give someone else to go and maybe they can put a different voice forward,” Phillip said.
“I reckon the advertising helped, the advertising she had on TV.
“She got pretty close last time and I just thought let’s give someone else a go.
“I think everyone’s in the same boat, struggling from the cost of living. Cost of living is just going up but wages haven’t gone up to match it.”
Isabella (Alyce Nelligan, Greens)
“The cost of living and education is probably another big one for me as a uni student,” Isabella said.
“Other than that, probably housing and rent (are issues).”
Emma (Kirstie Smolenski, independent)
“Social housing, because I’m a social worker,” Emma said.
“I think that there’s a lot of a lot of homeless people, a lot of children that are homeless, so that influenced me away from the bigger parties, and to the independents and Greens.
“Kirstie Smolinski (was my first) and Suzie Holt was my second choice, only because Kirstie didn’t accept any large donations – that was the difference between the two.
“It’s a very safe seat for the LNP, so I think maybe a little shake up won’t hurt.”
Rachael (Suzie Holt, independent)
“I probably am a little bit tired of what LNP has been doing, so for the first time I’ve actually voted independent,” Rachael said.
“What (Ms Holt) said she’s going to do for health care and to make sure that we improve those services – that’s been really important to me with my current health.
“I think we need a change and I think her what she stood for and what policies, all the things that I’ve read and watched her advertisements, she really impressed me.”
Damo (Garth Hamilton, LNP)
“We’ve got lack of lack of transparency, look at what happened over at the new hospital site – disgraceful,” Damo said.
“Things just need to change, we’ve got a putting the people was Australia first and we’ve got to really start looking after us before we start looking after everyone else.
“All you hear (during the campaign) about is Suzie Holt or Garth Hamilton — a lot of the others didn’t get the coverage.”
Cass (Richard Edwards, Labor)
“There’s just a little bit of shroud (hiding) information, like we’re not sure where parties are sitting,” Cass said.
“They say the good things, which is all well and good but we don’t know when they’re going to put that into action or what they’re going to deliver.”
Ben (Garth Hamilton, LNP)
“We’re from in the NDIS sector, so disability (was a big issue),” Ben said.
“Probably just the local community (was a key issue), making sure there’s enough there for infrastructure and things locally.
“(Toowoomba is) probably not (getting) enough, but we just want our fair share.”
Jim and Angie (Alyce Nelligan, Greens)
“I’m retired, so cost of living is always for retirees is probably one of the major points,” Jim said.
“I’m sort of thinking I wanted to give someone a fresh go.
“The incumbents, I just feel they always make all these promises but, I mean, why wouldn’t they just do it? You’re the ones in bloody government, you know what I’m saying?
“We are on the pension, so I want to make sure that keeps going.
“We’re sort of worried about the younger generation – we’ve got children that are in mortgages.”
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Originally published as Toowoomba votes: Candidates make final pitches at prepolling as voters reveal key issues
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