Doorstop interview: By-elections

There’s a clear choice this morning, on this clear, beautiful Tasmanian morning. A clear choice between Brett Whiteley and his plan for Braddon, between our Government and our commitment and delivery of a stronger economy, lower taxes, more jobs, higher wages, increased funding for essential services – we were just discussing with someone a moment ago, who acknowledged, I don’t think that he was going to vote for you Brett, but he did acknowledge that we were telling the truth when we said funding for hospitals had increased by 42 per cent.

See, Labor has covered this electorate with lies, claiming that we’ve cut funding to hospitals. Completely untrue. We have run a campaign and Brett has run a campaign here based on facts and a demonstrated commitment to stronger economic growth, lower taxes, more jobs, leading of course to higher wages.

Now, a vote for Justine Keay does not only reward somebody who has been taking a parliamentary salary for months and months under false pretences, when she knew she was not eligible - and Bill Shorten knew she was not eligible - but would be a vote for Bill Shorten's lies and his higher taxes on businesses right across this electorate and across the nation. On individuals and families and particularly on retirees, which there are thousands in Braddon and in Longman, who know that Bill Shorten is coming after their savings.

So it’s a very clear choice today, for Brett Whiteley here, for Trevor Ruthenberg in Longman, for Georgina Downer in Mayo. All of our candidates are standing for stronger economic growth, lower taxes, more jobs, higher wages, guaranteed funding for essential services that comes from a stronger economy.

Labor is a threat to all of that. We're saying to Australians voting today; don't put your essential services at risk. Don't put your jobs at risk. Don't put stronger economic growth at risk and above all, don't let Bill Shorten get a win and be able to see justification for his plan for higher taxes.

Despite that messaging Prime Minister, over this nine-week campaign, a poll today suggests Labor indeed are in front here in Braddon. Why do you think that’s the case?

You know the only poll that matters is the poll on polling day. We always say that, but it's particularly apt on polling day. It's clearly close.

Look, Labor should be miles ahead. I don't normally get into political commentary but let's be fair dinkum about it. Labor should be miles ahead. These are by-elections. By-elections invariably swing against the government of the day. There hasn't been a seat won by a government from an opposition in 100 years. There's a reason for that.

So all the odds are stacked against Brett Whiteley and Trevor Ruthenberg. They are, they are. But the polls, the ballot, the contest, is clearly close.

Now we'll find out tonight or in the days that follow how it is resolved. But the reality is Labor should be miles and miles ahead in these by-elections and yet it's very close.

What that tells you is that many people - many people I was speaking to in Morayfield in Longman yesterday or Ulverstone just a few days ago with Brett - they are disgusted and appalled by Labor's lies. They really are. All of these false claims, it is so cynical, it's so contemptuous of hard-working Australians to just be going out there as Labor does, lying again and again.

They do it because think they can get away with it, just like they thought they could get away with Susan Lamb and Justine Keay drawing salaries – good salaries, high salaries - from taxpayers' money, when they were not entitled to them.

What have been the biggest challenges for Georgina Downer? She hasn't had the easiest of runs in Mayo, what lessons have you learned there?

It is always very hard to take on an incumbent independent in a seat like Mayo. Rebekha Sharkie clearly is the favourite to hold Mayo. Georgina has made a very strong campaign, particularly in a by-election, it is additionally hard.

By-elections are always hard for governments but the message in Mayo is very clear; that Rebekha Sharkie, she is of course not a Labor candidate, but most of the time she votes for the Labor Party. That's why we are asking the people of Mayo to support Georgina Downer.

Here in Braddon we've seen Labor talk a lot about health, health again being it’s key focus, how confident are you that you've done enough to counteract Labor's message on health, if we just remind ourselves of the 2016 election?

Labor doesn't have a message on health, they have a lie on health.

Whether it is here or in Longman, they are lying. It's very interesting, even back there when we were chatting to the gentleman, he was criticising both the major parties, so we assume he is voting for the Greens or an independent. But even he had to acknowledge that what we were saying was the truth. So even he had to acknowledge that we were speaking the truth when we said funding for hospitals in Tasmania has increased by 42 per cent.

Labor's out there saying we have cut funding. It's a lie.

Even people who aren’t going, that gentleman is not going to vote for Brett, but he knows and he acknowledged there in front of you all, that we were speaking the truth.

So this is the real issue. The Labor Party has got a campaign that is based on lies. They've got candidates who sat in Parliament for months drawing parliamentary salaries at public expense when they knew they were not entitled to be there.

Now they are running again the same lies they ran in 2016. The fact is we have increased funding to public hospitals, whether it is here in Tasmania or in Queensland in Longman. We've substantially increased them. 42 per cent increase here in Tasmania alone and that doesn't include the $730 million over and above that for the Mersey Hospital which was paid to the Tasmanian government.

A quick one, one more question for Brett.

Yep last word from Brett, our candidate.

Brett, how concerned are you that you will lose to preferences and see a repeat of 2016?

Look, what I'm concerned about is waking up tomorrow morning with Bill Shorten beholden to the Greens. This electorate has said to me over the last 11 weeks in fact, that they are very much in tune with the hope and the aspiration, the momentum here in Braddon.

Small businesses are employing people, they're investing.

We are seeing tremendous opportunities coming our way with mining, agriculture and the defence procurement.

So my concern has always been - otherwise I wouldn't stand as a candidate - my concern has always been, what is in the best interests of the people of Braddon? I love this place, I have grown up here all my life. I know what it's like to be in the doldrums, as an economy locally.

We saw that with Labor and the Greens. I now want to be a part again of the government. Only I as the candidate, the Liberal candidate can deliver, because tomorrow morning, no matter what happens today, this man Malcolm Turnbull will be the Prime Minister and the Coalition will still be the Government.

What's best for Braddon? It’s best to have Brett Whiteley back sitting in the House of Representatives, a loud, strong voice in the Party Room of the Coalition as I always was and that's what I'm focused on today.

Are you sad you can’t add to your vote by voting for yourself?

Look, I'm out supporting all my volunteers today. I'm in a number of booths today with the Prime Minister, helping to support the team, helping to support the ideal situation, which will be an election of Brett Whiteley as the next member for Braddon.