Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Here we are again. I am here to talk about one of my favourite topics: Labor's lies. Just when you think the scaremongering campaign cannot get any lower, it does. But honestly, I am not at all surprised. Why, you ask? Let me give you just some examples of the lies that are happening on the Central Coast at the moment. Last week, Labor and the union bullies turned up outside my office to protest. They took their photo outside the sign and then they berated me for not being there—I was here in parliament representing the people of Dobell. Local unions and Labor members like to turn up in places where they know I am not going to be. Then they complain about me not being there. Last week I was in parliament. When I was at a community event they decided to hold the debate that never happened. On a weekend, when I am out and about in my community and not sitting in my office, they are out there scaremongering to local retailers about penalty rates—another union and Labor lie.

Last week, when they were on their national tour of marginal seats, they dropped into Dobell. After taking their photo, they decided to pack up all their stuff and then they plastered it all over social media saying that I was not there. Then they went into a coffee shop, where they were seen stocking up on their coffee, water and supplies for their day. Guess what? They paid for it—one person used a union credit card. They cannot even put their hands in their pocket to buy their own water! There are no rules when it comes to the union credit card. Then, on Sunday, they decided to turn up outside a Mariners versus Wanderers game and they red-carded me for not being there—I was on my way down here to Canberra. No doubt, they paid their admittance fee to get into the soccer using the union credit card.

We go back to the debate that never was—we know that Australian electorates are being subjected to an expensive $30 million campaign of deceitful and pathetic lies in an attempt to embarrass the government and marginal coalition members in electorates such as Dobell. In my electorate the deceitful and misleading campaign was orchestrated by the ACTU, the CFMEU and the Central Coast Community Union Alliance. Despite their pathetic attempts and considerable monetary investment—we estimate that they would have spent $20,000 of union membership money on that night—it did not work. After they made all their robocalls, four people called the office asking—

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