Labor heavyweights come to Wagga for pre-election push

Senior Labor figure Tanya Plibersek believes it’s time for change in the Riverina, and the party’s candidate Mark Jeffreson is the person for the job.

More than 40 years since it last held power, Labor last week brought big names to town to win over voters in the seat of the Riverina.

Shadow Education Minister and Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek and Labor Senator Deborah O‘Neill were on the campaign trail on Friday, speaking to locals at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga campus about major issues such as the cost of living and petrol prices.

Labor last held the safe Nationals seat in 1980, with the current Riverina MP - former Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Michael McCormack - holding the seat since 2010.

Ms Plibersek said she believed Wagga business consultant Mark Jeffreson, Labor’s candidate for the seat of Riverina, was the person to bring the region back on track.

Mr Jeffreson, who was unable to attend the event as he was in isolation due to Covid, previously challenged Mr McCormack as the Labor Party’s candidate at the 2019 election.

“Mr Jeffreson is a wonderful candidate and understands the issues facing the Riverina,” Ms Plibersek said.

“When you are in a safe seat like the Riverina, the Nationals take it for granted and will forget about the local community.”

Mr Jeffreson told The Wagga News on Monday that the Morrison government was “chaotic”, and slammed its “economic and environmental failures”.

“Riverina in particular have been let down over and over again by the Coalition, by the fact it is a safe seat,” he said.

“Our main goals, if a Labor government and I are elected, are to increase regional funding to regional centres, to help Wagga Airport, to help West Wyalong have better NBN and provide better aged care facilities in the area.”

Mr Jeffreson will be up against Mr McCormack as well as an array of independent candidates including Pennie Scott, Dean McCrae from the Liberal Democrats and Daniel Martelozzo from the United Australia Party.

 

“When you are in a safe seat like the Riverina, the nationals take it for granted and will forget about the local community”, the shadow minister of education said. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Last week Ms Plibersek said that many people’s distrust of the Morrison government had led to a rise in independent candidates for the seat.

“That is why we are seeing multiple independents run in this seat because of the disappointment around the Morrison government and that is common in most coalition-held seats,” she said.

The Nationals should not take the seat for granted, she said, as there was every possibility it could change hands.

Ms Plibersek said if Labor were successful in the federal election, cheaper housing and petrol prices and a better managed economy would be major priorities.

“Under a Labor government we will help the people of the Riverina with issues that are facing the public every day across Australia and help in the battle against the cost of living,” she said.