Out and about Federally, Our Gilmore Federal member, Ann Sudmalis has become quite popular of late with the visit of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week with a follow up visit of Tony Abbott head lining a Liberal Party fundraising dinner in Batemans Bay. The general feeling from those in the know throughout the electorate and especially in the south is that a visit by two very senior Liberal Party members to the mostly overlooked seat of Gilmore is most unusual outside of an election. It is also a daring move as Gilmore has high unemployment, an above average aboriginal population, an above average population of retirees and pensioners and an above average reliance on CentreLink which are presently large thorns in their side. Labor’s Gilmore spokesperson, Fiona Phillips says, “Two senior liberals within the space of a week? This indicates that the government is worried. They should be worried, particularly with the Liberal Government’s cuts to pensions and proposed cuts to Family Tax Benefits”. “I attempted to ask Mr Turnbull two questions during his visit to the Nowra show. I asked about marriage equality and about pensions only to be moved aside by a Prime Ministerial security guard.”
“Gilmore is the most marginal federal electorate in NSW. They are only here because they are interested in their own jobs, not jobs for people in Gilmore.” The dinner on Friday night is invite only.
