Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the choice that the people of Aston have this Saturday. Mary Doyle has spent her career fighting for working people, and I know she would be an incredible addition to this parliament.

Can I note just how grateful we are in Victoria to have had the honourable Leader of the Opposition visit four times ahead of the by-election, because there is no better campaigner for Labor in the seat of Aston than Mr Dutton, known friend of my home state. His record, indeed, is very well known—the leader who likes to refer to female journalists as 'mad witches' and who, when Minister for Health, was voted the worst in 40 years. We welcome him to Victoria, and we welcome him to metropolitan Melbourne, in particular, where the Liberals hold just three seats in a region home to 5.2 million people. I was honestly surprised to see the Leader of the Opposition out and about so much, given his known phobia of my home state. After all, this is the member who said we were too scared to go out to restaurants at night. I certainly hope he's not missing out on some of the quality food in Bayswater and Rowville because he's eating in his hotel room in fear instead.

I know Mary Doyle and the people of Aston see Mr Dutton's disdain for our state and our community—a leader who is always angry, always negative and always against the policies that the country needs. This is the leader of the 'no-alition' that continues to vote against Australian manufacturing, against lower power bills and against secure jobs. The people of Aston deserve a member with a positive plan for a brighter future, and I wish Mary all the best.