Electors in Macquarie say interest rate rise could change their vote

Small-business owners already slammed by flooding and soaring­ ­inflation in Australia’s most marginal seat, say an interest rate rise has them thinking twice about how they will vote.

For small-business owners already slammed by flooding and soaring­ ­inflation in Australia’s most marginal seat, the prospect of an interest rate rise has them thinking twice about how they will vote.

Gerard Hodgskin and wife Raelene’s go-kart track in Wilberforce was recently under water and they are still trying to rebuild.

“It’s on my mind and I’m thinking about it. My concern is: can the other side do any better?” Mr Hodgskin said of a mooted interest rate rise.

“I’m really on the fence with it ­because I’m just not sure.

“If I knew the interest rates weren’t going to go up it would be a different scenario.”

Macquarie spans from Wisemans Ferry and the Hawkesbury River to Katoomba and the lower Blue Mountains, and is held by Labor by a 0.2 per cent margin.

Wilberforce locals Raelene Hodgskin (l to r) holding her granddaughter Alice Sultana, son Cameron Hodgskin, Gerard Hodgskin and Paul Saad. Picture: Julian Andrews

Mrs Hodgskin said she wasn’t sure if the interest rate hikes would affect her vote, but she was concerned that if mortgages went up, her business would suffer as Sydneysiders tightened the purse strings.

“For everyone who has these ­humungous mortgages now they will start looking at cutting those luxury things,” she said.

Turf farmer Paul Saad has been unable to make a cent since floods destroyed his crop, but said that ­although inflation could hurt his business he did not blame the ­government.

“With us not earning any money at the moment off the farm, bringing the cost of living up does make it hard … I know full well the government doesn’t have control of interest rates so it won’t sway my vote,” Mr Saad said.

While interest rate hikes have Macquarie voters worried, the number-one issue on these locals’ minds is flood recovery.

As rain still refuses to let up in Wilberforce, clean-up efforts have been slow and many businesses are struggling to find cash for repairs.

Mr Hodgskin said he was looking for a candidate who could secure more help for businesses, and also work to stop the catastrophic floods before they reach disaster level.

“I’m at loggerheads at the moment. I work for myself so I’ve always been a bit of a Liberal voter, but I don’t think both of them have the answers,” he said.

“They aren’t really knocking at the right spot for people that live in this area … they don’t understand it.

Mr Hodgskin said cash flow issues were making recovery difficult, and despite reimbursements from the government it could be hard to find the physical cash to pay the bills.

He hopes a new government, whether that’s Labor or Liberal, will look at more immediate ways to ­support the flood victims so they aren’t forgotten.

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Originally published as Electors in Macquarie say interest rate rise could change their vote