Labor will seek to link Tony Abbott to the election loss in Victoria. Source: News Corp Australia
PRIME Minister Tony Abbott looms as an electoral hazard for the state Liberal party as it fights to win back the seat of Fisher in Saturday’s by-election.
The state Labor Party at the weekend put up posters featuring Mr Abbott and referencing the uncertainty over how South Australia will fare in Federal Government decisions on the future submarines project.
Mr Abbott also featured in advertising run by the Victorian Labor Party in the lead-up to its election win over a first-term Liberal Government in that state on Saturday.
The Federal Government is struggling with public backlash on issues including the $7 GP co-payment, deregulating university fees and Defence Force pay.
About 33,000 people are voting in Fisher to elect one of eight candidates on Saturday in a by-election prompted by the passing of Liberal-turned-independent MP Bob Such in October.
Flinders University Associate Professor Haydon Manning said there would be “a lot of talk about the Abbott factor” but warned it was easy to exaggerate its importance in an SA poll.
Political strategists report voters in Fisher are concerned about SA losing promised jobs if the building of 12 new submarines does not go ahead here.
Comments by Liberal Defence Minister David Johnston last week that he could not trust locally based shipbuilder ASC to build a canoe have not helped the state party’s campaign.
Prof Manning said this “hapless” insult was more likely to have an impact on the Fisher outcome.
University of Adelaide Professor Clem Macintyre said Mr Abbott was deliberately kept out of the Victorian Liberals’ election campaign but a Labor ad digitally merged Mr Abbott’s face with now-ousted Liberal Premier Dennis Napthine’s, to emphasise the party link.
“I think the Libs will still be favourite in Fisher but they won’t mention Abbott’s name all that much,” he said.
ALP state secretary Reggie Martin said feedback from doorknocking in Fisher revealed there was “a lot of angst about the federal Abbott Government in the electorate”.
State Liberal Leader Steven Marshall said Labor was running an “anti-Federal Government campaign because they can’t talk about their own record”.
He urged voters to elect a Liberal to put “maximum pressure” on the Government in a finely balanced Parliament.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the Abbott Government “doesn’t understand” the issues facing SA and Victoria and the election of Labor parties there was “a wake up call”.
source: theaustralian.com.au
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