Liberals target disaffected young men in Adelaide Labor stronghold during federal election campaign

Conservative Liberal powerbrokers think they can wrestle a safe northern suburbs seat out of Labor’s hands by targeting disaffected young men – and an Aussie flag for each household.

SA's Liberal conservative powerbroker and top Senate pick Alex Antic (left) and conservative commentator and Spence candidate Daniel Wild. Picture: Facebook

SA Liberal powerbrokers are betting on a miracle win in a northern suburbs seat by appealing to disaffected young men and promising to “send an Australian flag to every household”.

Liberal MP Alex Antic – who is the top pick on the state’s Senate ticket – has spent many days doorknocking the safe Labor seat of Spence sending a message that “men in this country are feeling marginalised”.

He believed Liberal wildcard candidate and conservative Liberal commentator Daniel Wild can take the seat, named after Australia’s first female political candidate and held by Labor’s Matt Burnell with 12.9 per cent.

“Dan and I agree that men in this country are feeling marginalised more than ever before, and Dan is hearing that message loud and clear,” Mr Antic said on a joint Facebook page video filmed in Elizabeth.

Mr Wild agreed, claiming Labor’s “identity politics” blamed men “for everything”.

“I believe all Australians are equal and should be judged on their capacity to make a contribution, not their gender,” he later said.

“As a father of two young daughters I’d never accept women being treated unfairly, but the divisive identity politics of Labor which blames young men for all social problems has gone too far.”

Federal MP for Spence Matt Burnell at the Curtis Road and Heaslip Road intersection where a $30m federal and state grant has been awarded to fix the notorious intersection.

He also has been talking about housing, reducing immigration and promised on his Facebook site that: “If you elect me I will send an Australian flag to every household in Spence”.

“Labor has divided us. And we have a Prime Minister and Labor members who refuse to stand in front of our flag. We need change,” he said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail in Queensland this month. Picture: Jason Edwards / NewsWire

Tony Abbott, a Liberal supporter and Liberal Party candidate for Spence Daniel Wild in Gawler this month. Picture: Tim Joy

Voters currently can ask electorate offices for a free Australian, Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal flag, at a cost to the government of $86.50. There are around 75,000 households in the Spence electorate.

Mr Albanese also has regularly appeared in front of the Australian flag during the federal election campaign.

Former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott has campaigned in Spence saying Mr Wild, his Institute of Public Affairs colleague who is on leave from the conservative, free-market think tank, can win the seat.

Sitting Labor member Mr Burnell won the seat last election and has been spruiking the new Elizabeth study hub, local road funding, Medicare boosts and fee-free TAFE policies.

He said Adelaide-born Mr Wild lives outside the electorate and “claims to care about men in our community, but look at the lengths he goes to avoid them”.

“We have 10 federal electorates in SA and Daniel Wild has to drive through five of them to get to Spence,” Mr Burnell said.

Mr Wild said “If elected I’d happily look to move into the electorate”.

Originally published as Liberals target disaffected young men in Adelaide Labor stronghold during federal election campaign