Katherine Deves: Warringah Liberal candidate keen to return focus to grassroot voter concerns

Katherine Deves, the Warringah Liberal candidate, wants to put her transgender comments issue aside to focus on local concerns in an effort to beat Zali Steggall.

Katherine Deves, the controversial Liberal candidate for Warringah says she is working to win back thousands of disenchanted voters, who drifted away from the party at the 2019 federal election, by focusing on issues of local concern.

In the final two weeks of campaigning before the May 21 vote, Ms Deves says she wants to claw back those former supporters who swung over to sitting independent MP Zali Steggall.

Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves, at her home, in Manly Vale, this week. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

She said she needs about 4000 votes to swing back to her to be in with a chance of sitting in the Coalition party room after the election.

Ms Deves said she was confident of a win, despite the public flak for her historic social media posts about transgender athletes. She told The Daily Telegraph earlier this week that she had received messages of support from all over the country “even internationally”.

She has apologised for the social media comments and said she regretted some of the language used in her tweets.

Now she said she wants to move forward, not dwelling on the transgender issues.

Speaking on Friday, Ms Deves said she was telling voters that if elected, she would fiercely advocate for government support for grassroots issues such as better funded public health services; aged care; relief for small businesses; cost of living assistance and; community infrastructure.

While out campaigning and talking to Warringah voters in the street, Ms Deves said she is receiving the greatest feedback about the pressures of having to cope with the increasing cost of living.

Winning back disenchanted Liberal voters who sided with Warringah MP Zali Steggall at the 2019 election is a target for Liberal candidate Katherine Deves. (AAP Image / Julian Andrews).

“People are talking about inflation,” she said.

“I live in the mortgage belt. People are talking about interest rate rises.”

She also reminded voters that the Coalition has introduced cost of living relief measures such as the one-off $250 cash payment, fuel excise relief and a decision not to raise taxes.

After the cost of living, Ms Deves said provision of health services was the second biggest issue for Warringah voters she had spoken with.

“It was actually ensuring there was adequate staffing so that there’s enough doctors and nurses. We all saw our health workers on the frontline in the pandemic. That’s something I’d like to take to Canberra.”

Ms Deves said an issue close to her, and which had “personally touched my life”, was mental health and suicide prevention

“My partner David has lost four friends in adulthood to suicide.

Mental health services, including those for men, would be a focus for Katherine Deves if elected to federal parliament. Picture: News Regional Media

“I feel that we need to make sure there are adequate resources there, particularly when it comes to men’s mental health.”

Pushing for help to boost the small business sector would be high on her agenda if she won Warringah.

She said many local small businesses were happy with federal government support, through Jobkeeper and business grants during Covid.

“But many of them are exhausted after two years, and struggling to find staff.”

Katherine Deves said she has been taking to voters across Warringah about grassroots issues. Picture: Katherine Deves – Liberal Candidate for Warringah/Facebook

Ms Deves said if they do find workers, the low unemployment rate meant they had difficulty holding on to them because of the greater choice of jobs on offer. Business owners also found it difficult to meet more demands for above award wages.

“Hearing about the lack of workers, that is something I’d definitely would like to address in Canberra, and how we could get staff on the ground for these businesses.”

Ms Deves she would look at issues such as greater worker migration programs.

On aged care Ms Deves said people in Warringah wanted choice when it came to accommodation and care in their senior years, so she would advocate for adequately staffed and funded facilities.

She also confirmed that she would, if elected, put pressure on the NSW Government to build the Beaches Link underground toll road.

An artist’s impression of new recreation space at Balgowlah if the Beaches Link tunnel are built. Katherine Deves supports the proposed project. Picture: NSW Government.

What Ms Deves described as the “hidden” issue of homelessness on the northern beaches, especially among older women, would prompt her to put funding for more refuges on her list.

Upgrading sporting facilities such as Rawson Oval at Mosman, to include changing facilities for women and girls, would also be on her list as well as looking into funding to provide outdoor hockey fields in the electorate.

Katherine Deves with her partner David and their three daughters. Picture: Katherine Deves – Liberal Candidate for Warringah/Facebook

Ms Deves said the number of people, from inside and outside of Warringah, putting their hands up to volunteer on her campaign, had been phenomenal.

She said that in the last two weeks of the campaign, she would be “getting out there as much as possible and meeting as many people as possible.”

Ms Deves will be at Balmoral Beach on Sunday, Mother’s Day, from 2pm, to talk to voters about any issue or question they want to raise.

Originally published as Katherine Deves: Warringah Liberal candidate keen to return focus to grassroot voter concerns