Boothby Electorate

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:24): We need a change in the seat of Boothby. As you would know, Mr Speaker, a fair chunk of the electorate of Badcoe overlaps with Boothby and, as a Boothby resident myself, I obviously take a keen interest in ensuring that the people of the inner south-western suburbs get a fair go. This will be a very close contest and voters in Boothby have a very stark choice. Voters have long complained that the two major parties are too similar. Well, that is definitely not the case at this election and it certainly is not the case in the seat of Boothby.

The Labor candidate, Nadia Clancy, is undoubtedly an outstanding individual, a person who was born in Boothby, schooled in Boothby, spent years playing sport in Boothby and volunteers her time in Boothby. These days she is raising a child with her partner in Boothby. Nadia's family have a lasting connection with this community and are local leaders themselves, just like Nadia.

I have been privileged to be among those supporting Nadia's campaign, and it is because Nadia is a listener and also a great advocate that she has managed to secure a range of commitments from federal Labor. Those commitments include $1.2 billion toward fixing South Road, including $95 million in the first Shorten Labor budget, unlike those opposite who have not put any money up-front, and $105 million to remove the Cross Road level crossing at Westbourne Park. As a local, I know that those boom gates are down for 33 minutes each peak hour, delaying traffic, and the RAA knows it, too, because it is on their list of priorities.

Almost $21 million is being invested in Boothby schools in the first three years of Labor's Fair Go Action Plan. There is $5 million for redeveloping the Brighton Oval sports complex, another $5 million for the Mitchell Park Community and Sports Centre and $20 million to realign Springbank Road to create a single four-way intersection.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Ms STINSON: Excellent. The Liberal proposal would, of course, make no change to that alignment. There is about $30 million to upgrade the Fullarton and Cross roads intersection and $5 million for the Blackwood Community Hub, a commitment not matched by those opposite. All of this and much more is a sign that Nadia is focused on Boothby.

What is being offered on the other side? Well, there is certainly no such focus on the people of Boothby. The Liberal candidate spent her time—her first term as an elected MP—plotting against the elected prime minister at the time, Malcolm Turnbull. Instead of focusing her time on the interests of the people of Boothby, she was sharpening her knives against one of her own. And how do we know that? Well, her name is right there on the petition of the disgraced challenger, Peter Dutton, to overthrow Malcolm Turnbull. She was not holding back; she was one of the first to sign it. So enthusiastic was she for political bloodshed that she was one of the chief plotters.

Obviously, the sitting member was not listening to her electorate because I know a lot of people in our electorate were quite fond of Malcolm Turnbull. Many of them in fact voted for the member for Boothby because they wanted to see the country led by Malcolm Turnbull. What was the upshot of all this time and effort that was put into plotting, like some scene out of Game of Thrones? She failed. She could not even organise a proper coup. And now we have ended up with Scott Morrison, who was not even the member for Boothby's first pick to lead her party, let alone our nation.

Another big issue the sitting member has failed to listen to her own electorate on is climate change. The current MP is well known for her climate change denial. With a comprehensive renewable energy and climate change policy, that is simply not a problem for Nadia and it is not a problem for Labor.

Another important area where the sitting member seems to have trouble listening is the many appeals from members of my community—the Boothby community—to disclose her position on her Liberal colleague's decision to axe suburbs in the electorate from the city school zone. Scores of parents have written to her and sent her postcards and emails and do you know what has happened? They have been ignored or fobbed off, even when they have spoken to her in person at events. The best response that one constituent of mine belatedly received from the member for Boothby was that she has written to her colleague the Minister for Education, but he has not replied to her. That is the standard of interest, concern and action that one can expect if the sitting member is re-elected.

The people of Boothby have a very important task ahead. I hope that they take the time to consider the very stark differences between these two women and, most importantly, who they are really focused on.