Regional voters send clear message to politicians – ignore us at your peril
THE fall of three Liberal seats in Tasmania has played a significant role in resetting the rules for the country’s next election, with seats outside capital cities driving the knife-edge poll result.
Analysis of poll results show two-thirds of the seats lost to Labor, or in doubt, are outside capital cities, destroying the Coalition’s 2013 margin.
In Tasmania, the Coalition lost three of the eight regional seats likely to fall to Labor, sounding a clear warning to major parties for the next election – ignore regional Australia at your peril.
As the Tasmanian Liberal Party hierarchy prepares to tour the state next week, searching for answers for what went wrong, Regional Australia Institute chief executive Jack Archer said those living outside metropolitan areas had sent a strong message to the major parties.
“Regional seats and areas which have the real economic challenges are where the swings and move away from Labor and the Coalition has occurred,” he said.
“Whoever forms government will need to listen to the message being sent by regional Australia.”
