Corangamite heats up between candidates

Caption: “Messmate Track has become a political battleground between Sarah Henderson and Libby Coker. Photo: JAMES TAYLOR

THE political battle for the seat of Corangamite (or Cox) is heating up, with Labor candidate Libby Coker returning fire at incumbent Liberal MP Sarah Henderson.

Ms Coker has been criticised several times by Ms Henderson – who mostly refers to her as “Labor’s Corangamite candidate” – on a range of issues, including Ms Coker being conflicted in her dual roles as a Surf Coast Shire councillor and a federal candidate regarding possible road upgrades in Anglesea as part of the Anglesea Futures plan, and most recently, that Ms Coker has been duplicitous by arguing both for and against Colac being excluded from the electorate in the federal redistribution.

On Tuesday, Ms Coker responded in the same fashion, saying “the Liberal Member for Corangamite needs to start standing up for the people of our area and stop playing fast and loose with the truth.

“Claiming that 94 per cent of us have fast NBN, that cutting penalty rates is good for workers or that giving big banks a massive tax cut is a good thing is just playing us all for mugs. “They’ve done the same with the Anglesea Bike Park and the Messmate Track – using taxpayer dollars to promote an alternative reality.

“The public expects better than this from their local MP. She needs to face up to the truth and stop her Liberal funding cuts to Barwon Health and Deakin University, and drop the lie that cutting workers’ pay and a big tax cut for the banks are good for us.

“Labor will stand up for local health services, access to Medicare and education. We stand against cutting penalty rates and a corporate handout to the banks.

“The public knows there is a clear choice in the coming election and I am always happy to speak to our community about our policies and the issues that people face in their day to day lives.”