Leading Liberal visits Monash
Deputy leader of the Federal Opposition Sussan Ley had a busy agenda on her wide-ranging visit to the Monash electorate last week.
During her day in the region Ms Ley, the Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business and Industry and Skills, took in Warragul, Jindivick, Drouin, Leongatha and Mirboo North with the Liberal Party’s endorsed candidate for Monash Mary Aldred to hear from local people about a number of key issues ahead of a Federal election due next year.
At Warragul, they visited Radfords meat processing plant and Baw Baw Food Relief.
Ms Ley said she was particularly impressed by the 120 volunteers that run the food relief operation, hearing that the number of visits from local residents seeking support had risen some 11 per cent to 5644 over past 12 months compared to the previous year. The number of families needing assistance has increased 28 per cent.
She it demonstrated the cost of living pressures and a harsh economic climate that were among the top subjects raised by constituents during her visit.
“How the relief centre is set up is really inspirational and maintains the dignity of those who use its services,” Ms Ley said.
She said, unfortunately, they heard that with cost of living hurting families, the demand for food banks across the country was surging and many reaching out for help had never before needed to.
At Gippsland Jersey in Jindivick, co-founders of the dairy brand created eight years ago Steve Ronalds and Sallie Jones spoke of mental health challenges farmers face, their concerns for the manufacturing sector and their “mission” to get farmers a fair price for their milk.
Ms Jones said it was great to have them at the property to discuss their concerns and issues.
Ms Ley said Mr Ronalds and Ms Jones represent the very best of regional and rural Australia.
“They work bloody hard and deserve a fair price for their product,” she said. “They are having a go, building a better future for their community and the time for the big supermarkets to act has run out”.
On the visit to Mirboo North, Ms Ley talked with a number of people about the district’s recovery from a savage storm in February that caused substantial property damage. Many are still waiting on or working on repairs.
Meetings with aged care representatives, TAFE and sporting groups were held at Leongatha before hearing from people across Monash at a Liberal Party function in Drouin in the evening.
Speaking with The Gazette after her visit Ms Ley, who represents the large southern New South Wales electorate of Farrer that has many similar challenges as Monash and some large regional centres including Albury, said she believed the Federal Government should provide more direct funding to local government rather than have the states decided where it should go.
She said this had been successfully done by the Liberal-National coalition during COVID.
Calls for greater funding for, and the sustainability of, local government were a dominant view at a forum and convention of the Australian Local Government Association in Canberra earlier this month, with the Gippsland association president and Wellington Shire mayor Ian Bye stating the reduction in funding by the current Federal Government had placed additional strain on councils’ ability to effectively service their residents.
Housing shortages, high levels of immigration and cost of living would remain key issues for the next election, Ms Ley stated, claiming the government’s target for new housing “impossible to achieve.”
She also believed taxation and industrial relations reform, including reduced income and state government taxes, were needed to support the economy, tackle cost of living and for reforms to funding of health services.
Ms Aldred is, to date, the only candidate endorsed to contest Monash although Voices for Monash, a group that will back an independent, is expected to announce its candidate later today (Tuesday).