Labor leader Bill Shorten has made a surprise election day visit to Winmalee, declaring the campaign stop a “sign of confidence” in Labor’s Macquarie candidate, Susan Templeman.
Mr Shorten arrived with his wife Chloe about noon, greeting ALP volunteers and handing out how-to-vote cards. He narrowly missed an encounter with Liberal MP Louise Markus who had been manning the Winmalee High School polling place earlier in the day.
“It’s a sign of confidence that Labor can do well but an even bigger sign of confidence in Susan Templeman,” Mr Shorten told the Gazette. “She’s been an outstanding candidate. This community deserves to have her in Canberra and Canberra needs someone of her capacity representing this community….To be fair to the other lady [Louise Markus], she’s pretty invisible.”
Mr Shorten said the election was “all about Medicare” with Gonski education funding and NBN rollout significant other local issues.
He downplayed disagreement with Ms Templeman over the proposed Badgerys Creek airport, which federal Labor supports.
“Even though we’ve supported the airport, Susan and [Springwood-based Labor Senator] Doug Cameron and others were instrumental in convincing us to have a no-fly zone after 11pm and before 6am. That’s the value of having someone who is a strong representative for their community,” he said.
“Ultimately we’re all bound by [party] policy but the fact of the matter is she’s been influential in the formation of some of my thinking.”
