Lib ‘wipes floor’ with Cheeseman in debate

Alex de Vos
Liberal candidate for Corangamite Sarah Hender-son wiped the floor with Labor MP Darren Cheeseman in a public debate, according to the audience.
Most audience members at the Tuesday morning debate judged Ms Henderson the clear winner, saying she “covered a lot of issues and was able to raise a lot of valid points”.
The Independent surveyed opinions after the debate in front of a crowd of almost 100 at a Geelong Business Network breakfast meeting on Tuesday.
One audience member labelled her victory a “landslide”. Another said she “won by a mile”.
The former ABC journalist and lawyer played up her local connections before attacking the Rudd Government’s failed insulation installation scheme, stimulus package, proposed health reform and record debt.
During the 90-minute debate she accused Mr Cheeseman of delivering a “litany of broken promises” during his first term as member for Corangamite.
She accused him of failing attempts to duplicate the Princes Highway between Winchelsea and Colac, deliver affordable housing or establish an additional pharmacy in Colac.
Ms Henderson said Mr Cheeseman also ignored constituents when he told a group of women he could “do nothing” about their appeal for an extra pharmacy at Colac.
“Last week a third pharmacy licence was approved in Colac after we collected a petition with 4500 signatures and put a lot of pressure (on the Government),” she said.
Ms Henderson also slammed Labor’s plans to establish 264 trade training centres.
“One out of 264 has been built – in Rudd’s electorate,” Ms Henderson said.
She vowed to improve Geelong’s health system and deliver a “first class” rail system if elected.
“Residents won’t have to leave Geelong to get the best medical care.”
Ms Henderson also used the debate to announce a Liberal plan to investigate pumping water out of the Gellibrand River to boost the region’s supply.
She believed that tapping into the Gellibrand was “not as environmentally destructive” as sucking borewater out of the ground.
Mr Cheeseman told the meeting that the region’s “changing business community” had shifted from manufacturing to small business.
He said the Federal Government had done plenty to support small businesses and to improve infrastructure and education in the region.
He praised the Rudd Government’s proposal to deliver an improved telecommunications network under its national broadband scheme.
Mr Cheeseman highlighted Labor’s ability to save “thousands” of jobs during the global financial crisis and to create employment by working with local builders to upgrade regional primary schools.
Mr Cheeseman labelled his campaign “ambitious”.
He said Tony Abbott could not be trusted to juggle the economy and reminded voters in the audience that the opposition leader “ripped” $1 billion out of the health system while he was a minister in the Howard Government.
Mr Cheeseman finished the debate acknowledging the much more was to be done but vowed to work on ensuring Corangamite received its “fair share out of the Commonwealth Govern-ment”.