Federal campaign begins: What politicians promise Canberrans

After weeks of expectation, the election has finally been called, for Saturday 3 May — five weeks from tomorrow — and the campaign mechanism has swung into action. Within hours of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement, the ACT’s federal Labor politicians, Senator David Pocock, and the ACT Greens were holding press conferences.

ACT Labor

Senate: Senator Katy Gallagher + Janaline Oh
Bean: David Smith MP
Canberra: Alicia Payne MP
Fenner: Dr Andrew Leigh MP

Labor politicians tell voters that they have a “clear, stark” choice this year “between builders [themselves] and wreckers [the Liberals]”. Over the past term, Senator Katy Gallagher said, Labor had rebuilt the AIS, and invested in community facilities, roads, public transport, urgent care clinics, hospitals, and schools. If re-elected, MPs Alicia Payne and Dr Andrew Leigh said, Labor would continue the transition to renewables, strengthen the economy, and invest in Medicare, education and cost-of-living relief.

Voting for the Liberals would put Canberra at risk, Labor argues. Under the APS Reform Agenda introduced in October 2022, more than 40,000 public service jobs have been created, with a further 3,400 positions planned over the next year. The Liberals, however, intend to shrink the public service and end “wasteful spending”, cutting 41,000 jobs — which Senator Gallagher reckons would be 60 per cent of the public service, dwarfing, David Smith MP estimates, even the Howard and Abbott-era cuts.

“That would decimate this city,” Senator Gallagher said. “It would rip the heart out of this city. It would have impacts that go right across the economy, the public sector, the private sector. It would affect every single family in this town.”

Labor politicians criticise the Liberals for cutting investments in housing and education, “abandoning progress” on climate and the environment, and investing in nuclear and gas. Dr Leigh said that opposition leader Peter Dutton MP would “cut everything except your taxes”, which would be raised “to pay for his madcap nuclear scheme that doesn’t deliver for over a decade”.

Senator Pocock

Senate: Senator David Pocock + Hannah Vardy

Independent Senator David Pocock will stand for election once more — territory senators only serve three-year terms, unlike state senators who serve six.

“I’ve done what I said I would do: been accessible, helped restore trust in politics, and made Canberra count,” Senator Pocock said.

He believes Australia needs “more integrity in politics; the courage to tackle the root causes of the big challenges we face in cost-of-living, housing, health, and climate change”.

“This election will be so important to deciding the kind of country we want to be. The kind of country we want to leave to future generations. […] We need community independents standing up to vested interests and holding the major parties to account.”

Canberra Liberals

The Liberals promise to “get Australia back on track”.

The Liberals pledge to lower inflation, and to reduce restrictions on small business; to make energy cheaper through a balanced mix of renewables, gas and nuclear; to fund housing infrastructure, help first home buyers, restrict foreign investors, and restore balance to Labor’s record migration intake; to make communities safer by “getting tough on violent crime by non-citizens, boosting defence and border security, and [improving] online safety for children”; and to address GP shortages, increase bulk billing and Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions.

“This election is important because Australia can’t afford to continue on its current path,” Senate candidate Jacob Vadakkedathu said.

Mr Vadakkedathu said that Australia had experienced the biggest fall in living standards in the developed world under Labor; inflation (higher than in comparable economies) had made groceries and insurance more expensive and housing less affordable.

ACT Greens

The ACT Greens will contest the Senate and all lower house seats. They argue that the election is a once-in-a-generation chance to fight for change, “to keep Dutton out and get Labor to act by putting more Greens MPs in parliament”, Isabel Mudford, contesting the seat of Canberra, said.

Ms Mudford maintains that Labor has failed to listen to Canberrans’ desire for the government to protect the climate and the environment; in the last week, she said, the government — captured by corporate interests, unlike the Greens, who refused corporate donations — had invested in the fossil fuel industry, tax breaks for property investors, and nuclear submarines; weakened environmental laws; and refused to save local species — such as the critically endangered Canberra earless dragon, threatened by a road development at Canberra Airport — from extinction.

“This election, Canberrans have a real choice — more of the same, or community candidates who will listen to the voices in our city, and push for ambitious action on climate, housing, health and the environment,” Ms Mudford said.