Like the Liberal candidate for Gilmore, Andrew Constance, the sitting Labor Member, Fiona Phillips, thinks that people want Australia to do more to address climate change.

“A vote for Andrew Constance is a vote for Scott Morrison’s polices on climate change,” she says.

“There’s not a lot there.

“We have a Powering Australia Plan, endorsed by the Business Council of Australia and the National Farmers Federation, which has a medium term target but is about investing more in renewable energy, cutting power prices and boosting jobs.

“It will train people for new energy jobs and boost jobs locally.

“Investing in renewables is the way of the future and our regions are the perfect place to do that.”

As for Mr Constance’s claim (made in this paper) that his ministerial experience will help in Canberra, she says, “You’ve only got to talk to people about what’s happened with the ferries or the light rail or the trains [when he was NSW Transport Minister]. I think his record on privatisation and outsourcing speaks for itself.”

Ms Phillips at the opening of the Gerringong Library & Museum

She says his championing of the Nowra Bypass needs to be seen in context.

“His record as the Minister for Roads shows he has done nothing about it up until now. It has got to be classified as a State Priority to kickstart it, and he never took the opportunity to do that.

“I’ve been campaigning for it for some time, as it will be a key piece of infrastructure that impacts everyone on the South Coast.

“But the first thing is to get community support to have it made a State Priority project and start the pre-planning.

“He was in the best position to do that, but never did.”

Gilmore was the seat to win at the last Federal election, and the seat to hold at this one expected in May. Only a handful of sitting days are left before the election.

Campaigning has already begun on both sides, with the visits from leading party figures only to increase.

Reflecting on her first term, Ms Phillips says, “It is probably fair to say it’s been very different to what I was expecting – first drought, then the bushfires and the ongoing recovery, seven disaster declared floods and then COVID.

“The people of Gilmore have been through a lot, and my focus has been on where it’s needed to be, which is supporting the community through the worst times that we could ever imagine.

“That role has been ongoing, every single day.

“It has been a challenge but on the positive side, there has been an opportunity to help people. Being able to help people through these extraordinary times has been really special.”

She’s been frustrated by what she sees as inaction on the Government’s front to prepare for future bushfire emergencies.

“We’ve already announced that Labor will have a national aerial firefighting fleet.

“It is just one of the recommendations from the Commonwealth Bushfire Inquiry that the Government has not implemented.

“The Government also hasn’t spent any of the mitigation money in the Emergency Response Fund to put in place actions to help prevent future disasters.

“We’ve committed to spending up to $200 million dollars a year when we’re in government. The fund is already there but it just hasn’t been spent. We will turn it into a grant like program for councils to access.”

With the Kiama LGA escaping the ravages of the Black Summer, there is much work that could be done to prepare for future fires.

Her first term has taught her to accept that everything can’t be perfect all the time.

“We’ve all learnt that when the technology doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world.

“I think we can be really hard on ourselves sometimes, but it is ok not to be perfect all the time. We can make mistakes, and learn from them.”

She’s now championing the need for better mental health services for youth and to fix the problems in the aged care sector.

“I was successful in getting a full Headspace in Batemans Bay and I want that for Kiama as well,” she says.

With regard to the crisis in aged care, she says, “I think the Government has completely vacated the space in terms of not just the Royal Commission recommendations, but before that when multiple reports never addressed.

“If some of that was addressed earlier, we wouldn’t have a lot of the issues that we have now.

“The Government [in its latest move] is just trying to give financial handouts but not actually address the systemic issues that are there.

“The situation is dire and needs to be fixed.”

The former TAFE teacher is right behind Labor’s policy of making TAFE free.

“Right now the big thing people are telling me is that they cannot find workers, but we haven’t spent enough time training people and retraining people,” she says.

She sees it being connected to Labor’s commitment to make more things in Australia.

“When you look back at everything that has happened over the last few years, it shows that if we make more things locally – if we train local people – we are in a much better position moving forward.

“We’ve seen cuts in supply chains that have really impacted people because we are so reliant on overseas.

“It’s not rocket science, and it needs to happen.”

At the solar farm at Nowra Hill with the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen

Finding a solution to the affordable housing crisis is also a priority, given the rising property prices on the South Coast.

“Affordable housing is a massive issue across the electorate and the Govt has completely vacated the space so that is why we are in the situation we are in.

“Labor’s Housing Australia Future Fund is a $10 billion fund and the income off that each year will go towards building affordable and social housing.

“There’s a number of different elements of it, including a certain amount set aside for women experiencing domestic violence, refugees, and affordable housing for essential workers,

“I think it’s really exciting and certainly something we haven’t seen for a very long time.”

In welcome news for some frustrated by poor TV reception, having already followed it up with the Minister and ACMA, Ms Phillips is determined to fix the problem.