Aston by-election: PM Anthony Albanese visits Boronia ahead of April 1 poll
Anthony Albanese has taken a pot shot at the Liberals’ Brunswick-based Aston by-election candidate, despite Labor’s Mary Doyle also not being a resident of the electorate.
Outer East
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Anthony Albanese has joined Labor supporters in taking a swipe at the Liberals’ Aston by-election candidate for living outside the electorate – even though his party’s candidate also isn’t a resident.
The Prime Minister helped launch Mary Doyle’s campaign at a community hall in Boronia on Saturday, ahead of the April 1 by-election.
In a pot shot at the Coalition’s challenger Roshena Campbell, Mr Albanese said: “Friends I’m sorry we’re a little bit late, it’s a long way from Brunswick,” to laughs from the crowd.
He later described Ms Doyle as “a proud citizen of the outer east that cares about her community and the environment.”
The PM’s comments came despite Ms Doyle’s family members telling the Herald Sun she also lives outside the Aston electorate in Nunawading.
In October, Labor cut more than $600m in federal funding promised by the former Coalition government for transport projects which would have benefited Aston residents.
They included the $110m Wellington Rd duplication, a $50m upgrade of Napoleon Rd in Rowville, and the $475m first stage of the eventual Rowville rail link between Monash University’s Caulfield and Clayton campuses.
Mr Albanese reaffirmed the government’s stance that the expected project costs didn’t stack up when asked why local voters should back the party.
“If it was such a good idea, (outgoing Liberal MP) Alan Tudge was here the whole time for 10 years, did he dig a hole? No. Was anyone employed? No. Nothing happened.
“There was no proper funding for those projects, you don’t fund a road by coming up with one small portion of the funding that’s required, not having a business case and not having a plan,” he said.
“It’s a mirage like so much of the Coalition that spent 10 years short-changing Victoria on infrastructure.
“We’re working constructively with the Andrews (State) Government to make a difference and we’ll continue to do that.”
When asked how she felt about the local projects being axed, Ms Doyle said: “They were fake announcements with fake money and fake press releases, and I won’t be any part of that nonsense.”
Ms Doyle failed in her bid to unseat Mr Tudge at last year’s federal election, despite a 7.3 per cent swing to Labor.
The Coalition holds Aston by a 2.8 per cent margin ahead of the April 1 poll following Mr Tudge’s resignation last month.
Mr Albanese promised to return to Aston in coming weeks to further help Ms Doyle’s campaign, despite admitting “the odds are very much against us”.
“I like Victoria and I like Victorians, unlike the federal opposition,” he said.
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