Instead of spending time penning media releases designed to grab a political headline on a serious issue such as the Tasman Highway closure, the Acting Leader of the Labor Party should instead take some time to check her facts.
As Acting Leader, she simply had to pick up the phone and discuss with me directly about whether I had visited communities impacted by the Tasman Highway closure.
If she had, I would have been able to outline that earlier today I travelled Wielangta Road to understand its condition and to meet with some local businesses at Orford.
We discussed the Business Hardship Critical Support Grants that we announced yesterday and other ideas about how else we can support the community during this difficult time. I also took the opportunity to meet with the Spring Bay Combined Probus Group to discuss with them the safety works underway on the Tasman Highway, and I thank them for their suggestions and valuable input.
For me, this visit was not about gaining media attention or political headlines but unfortunately I can’t say the same for Ms Dow.
I’d like to thank everyone who I met today for their ideas, and again thank the community for their patience and for taking care on our roads.
Labor might be known for being lazy when it comes to checking their facts, but it’s not acceptable to be lazy when it comes to such an important community issue.