Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will arrive in Wollongong tonight ahead of a whirlwind tour of the Illawarra to support the region’s Liberal candidates.
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Mr Abbott will fly in from the Gold Coast to join party faithful at a $200-a-head dinner in Wollongong to raise money for the party’s Illawarra campaigns.
The fund-raiser is being hosted by Gilmore MP Joanna Gash and Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.
He will spend tomorrow touring the region with candidates Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore), Larissa Mallinson (Throsby) and Philip Clifford (Cunningham).
As the three-month countdown to the September 14 election approaches, Ms Mallinson and Mr Clifford said they had already received plenty of feedback from voters.
A former Liberal candidate for the state seat of Shellharbour, Ms Mallinson said Throsby residents had told her they wanted ‘‘a return to good government’’.
‘‘Australia needs a Coalition government to provide Australians with the good government that our country deserves,’’ she said.
‘‘They also want a government that has a strong plan to help families get ahead, deals with cost of living pressures and creates more jobs.’’
She said the carbon tax would also be a big issue in her campaign.
‘‘If elected, removing the carbon tax will be the first priority of a new Coalition government,’’ she said.
Mr Clifford said he had been talking to Cunningham voters about his party’s plans to create ‘‘a stronger economy with more jobs, higher wages and better services for all Australians’’.
‘‘We will assist household budgets by abolishing the carbon tax and take immediate pressure off electricity and gas bills,’’ he said.
‘‘We will also help families, retirees and pensioners by keeping the tax thresholds as well as fortnightly pension and benefit increases.’’
