PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says Melton voters will have a clear choice between “two contending visions of the future” when they go to the polls on September 14.
In arguing why Labor should be given another term, Ms Gillard told the Weekly her policies would bring massive benefits to residents of her Lalor electorate, citing the DisabilityCare insurance scheme, the National Broadband Network rollout and plans to boost schools funding through the Gonski reforms.
But she said many were still works in progress and were at risk of being cut back if the Coalition took government.
“For us to deliver the future we think Australia deserves . . . we have to keep implementing the plans we’ve announced,” she said.
“If we . . . turn away from any of those policies, our future won’t be as strong and it certainly won’t be as fair.”
The Liberal Party’s newly named candidate for Lalor, Nihal Samara, accused the PM of losing touch with the electorate, saying she had become too tied up with internal Labor party politics and national electioneering.
Following the $18 billion budget deficit, Mr Samara claimed economic mismanagement was increasing cost-of-living pressures on Lalor families and the Tony Abbott-led Coalition had solutions to get the budget back in the black.
Ms Gillard said Labor had spearheaded groundbreaking reforms like DisabilityCare, which would benefit 4100 residents in the Lalor electorate spanning Melton, Wyndham and part of Hobsons Bay.
Although every state government except WA has agreed to the scheme, with launch sites to start in July, Ms Gillard said there was a mountain of work to make sure it became a reality.
“So we have a very clear choice, which is what we’re putting forward, about investing in the future, versus the kind of plans for cutbacks you’ve heard from the opposition already, with much more to come,” she said.
“Our future is not assured and the work that will make us stronger for the future is still in progress.”
