Today’s announcement that The Nationals will not be part of a formal Coalition agreement with the Liberal Party doesn’t change anything in terms of my commitment to fight for the future of Gippslanders.
I was humbled by the vote of confidence I received from Gippslanders in the federal election and will be doing everything in my power to hold the Labor Party to account in the interests of regional Australians.
The Nationals took a strong suite of policies to the Australian people and had a positive result, winning all of the 15 seats we held prior to the election.
Unfortunately, the leadership of The Nationals did not receive a guarantee from the Liberal Party that four key policy measures would be honoured in a future Coalition agreement.
The Liberal Party needs time to evaluate its election losses, and the decision to take a break from the Coalition will also allow The Nationals to undertake additional policy work.
It’s an opportunity to listen to Australians and bring forward policies which can make a difference to the lives of everyone who lives outside our capital cities.
Sadly, our nation is more divided in geographic terms than ever before, with the Labor Party dominating the metropolitan areas and showing no regard for the issues in rural, regional and remote areas like Gippsland.
I will be doing everything I can to fight for a fair share of resources for regional roads, community infrastructure and critical services in health, aged care, childcare and disability services.
Whether it’s part of a Coalition or as a stand-alone party, my commitment is to keep working for the benefit of Gippslanders and securing the infrastructure and critical services we need for the future.
It’s critical that we focus on the people who trusted us to represent them and bring forward a positive policy agenda to build a safer, stronger and fairer regional Australia.
