By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
Self-described friend of Geelong Tony Abbott could return to the region to campaign for one of the 54 coalition MPs who ousted him as prime minister.
A spokesman for Mr Abbott told the Indy his first priority was his own Warringah electorate but he would campaign for colleagues if asked.
Mr Abbott regularly visited Geelong before the 2013 federal election when Corangamite was Australia’s most marginal seat, helping win it from Labor for Liberal MP Sarah Henderson.
She holds the seat with a margin of 3.9 per cent.
But Ms Henderson voted to replace Mr Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull in the Liberal leadership spill last year after a series of negative polls. Latest polls show Mr Turnbull losing the election race to ALP leader Bill Shorten by two points.
Ms Henderson said every single vote would count in Corangamite.
“Prime Minister Turnbull has made it clear that a double dissolution election on 2 July is a possibility,” she said.
“This can be avoided if the senate acts responsibly and passes the Australian Building and Construction Commission and Registered Organisations Bills.
“Tony Abbott has always been a very strong supporter of the Corangamite electorate and is always welcome here.
“The Turnbull Government’s unwavering focus is on jobs, growth and responsible economic management.
“Under Malcolm Turnbull we have delivered a $1.1b National Innovation and Science Agenda, a $1b Clean Energy Innovation Fund to drive renewable energy jobs, an extra $2.9b for public hospitals and new laws to combat multinational tax avoidance to protect Australian jobs.
“Bill Shorten’s reckless policies will deliver higher taxes and bigger budget deficits.
“He refuses to stand up to unlawful behaviour in the construction industry and his negative gearing tax will damage home values and increase rents.
“When Labor was last in power it delivered record debt and deficits and a jobs destroying carbon tax, which crippled manufacturing including Alcoa, small business and famers. Labor also failed to save Ford manufacturing.
“In contrast to Malcolm Turnbull’s positive vision for our nation, we cannot afford another Labor government.”
