Federal election: Zali launches campaign telling supporters she’s ready to keep being a ‘loud voice’ in Canberra
High profile independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall has kicked off her federal election campaign vowing to keep being a “very loud voice” in Canberra.
Manly
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Independent MP Zali Steggall has launched her bid for a second term in federal parliament at next month’s election with a vow to continue to be “a very loud voice in Canberra”.
With the possibility that she, along with other independents across Australia, could end up holding the balance of power, Ms Steggall said she was putting action on climate change at number one on her “to do”list.
The MP told about 300 supporters at the official campaign launch in a function room at The Steyne hotel in Manly on Thursday night, that pushing to make politicians more accountable when it comes to spending taxpayers’ money, was also high on her agenda if she was returned in Warringah.
Ms Steggall snatched the former blue-ribbon seat away from veteran Liberal MP and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in 2019 after a ground breaking campaign that she said “turned Warringah turquoise”.
She told her the Manly Daily at the launch that “Team Zali”, and its hundreds of blue t-shirted volunteers, did not go away after victory of Mr Abbott.
“This is not just a movement in 2019,” Ms Steggall said. “We’ve had hundreds of volunteers involved for three years and everyone is absolutely committed to better government and better policies.
“We’ve been in a marathon and we’re in the final six weeks and everyone is really excited to bring about more change.”
The MP also said that she and her team were “just so committed to keeping Warringah independent”.
“I think what people in major parties and the political media don’t understand is that everyone has stayed involved.”
And in a her address to her supporters on Thursday, she told then that their work had inspired people in other electorate to get behind independent and to “get involved, make a difference”.
In her address, Ms Steggall reminded her o supporters that her Climate Change bills, she introduced into the last parliament to help Australia reach “net zero emissions” was “number one on my to do list in the next parliament’.
The MP said back in October that “any minority government seeking my support will need to pass the (climate) bills without delay.”
As part of her push, Australia would reached net zero emissions by the end of 2050 and net emissions would be reduced by 60 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.
“Without climate action, it is putting a Band-Aid on an open wound,” she told supporters.
“We know the cost of food, fuel, insurance are all exacerbated by climate disasters. Go and talk to people on the east coast impacted by floods.
“Even in our community, we had a river running down the Manly Corso only a few weeks ago.”
Ms Steggall also promised to push for a Federal Integrity Commission and a code of conduct for parliamentarians to make politicians more accountable for spending taxpayers’ money.
Ms Zali said she was unconcerned at who her major opponent from the Liberal Party would be next month.
“What I’ve observed is major parties don’t address issues on merit. They look, they have backroom deals, they have other things at play.
“At the end of the day they have to follow that Pager and vote as they’re told. They are powerless.
“I have been a pretty loud voice, I think, over the last three years and I am absolutely determined to continue to be a very loud voice to make sure we get some change.”
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