NSW Premier, Ms Gladys Berejiklian said the lack of any dedicated Liberal candidate for the impending by-election was a testament to the Liberal Party’s dedication to democracy and that as a result, a candidate would be announced on March 11 by the selection committee.
Ms Berejiklian visited Gosford on March 6 along with Minister for Mental Health, Ms Tanya Davies MP to announce an $11 million dollar early disruptive behaviour prevention program for Central Coast schools.
During the press conference, the topic turned to the recently vacated seat of Gosford, which the Labor party is eager to reclaim, having already announced Woy Woy based, Ms Liesl Tesch, as their candidate.
More importantly, Ms Tesch has already begun campaigning in her home turf of Woy Woy, door knocking, survey taking and above all, meeting with the community and familiarising herself with both the concerns of the electorate and its constituents.
Ms Tesch’s campaign head start, her golden girl status and the tendency for the seat of Gosford to swing between the two major parties, which has seen the electorate swing between three Labour and two Liberal representatives since 1976, could all spell trouble for the soon to be Liberal candidate who will have less than a month to campaign before the April 8 by-election.
When questioned over whether or not the Liberal Party had disadvantaged their own candidate by waiting so long to announce them, Ms Berejiklian urged voters to consider the Liberals’ dedication to democratic processes and the party’s history of delivering for the Gosford community.
“Since the Liberal Government took over, jobs growth on the Central Coast has been amazing,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The Liberal Party has created thousands of jobs on the Central Coast and have provided these by investing in key infrastructure that this region needed to grow, such as in the health sector through the Gosford Hospital upgrade.
“The fact is that nothing happened on the Central Coast prior to the Liberal Government takeover.
“We have a strong government that has been investing in this community and this region, and I believe a Liberal voice for Gosford would be so beneficial for this community.
“I urge voters to keep this in mind when they cast their votes in April,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Press conference,
March 6, 2017
Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Premier
Dilon Luke, Journalist