July 28th, 2024King looks to looming federal election

Ballarat Labor MP Catherine King says she welcomes what may be shaping as a large field of candidates vying for the Ballarat electorate in the next federal election.

The election can be held between next month and May 2025, with the last possible date on May 24 next year.

The Liberal Party earlier this month announced Wes McKnight as its candidate while Ms King has represented the federal Ballarat seat since 2001.

“Democracy is a wonderful thing … I welcome the announcement of the first [candidate] from the Liberal Party,” Ms King was reported saying to local media in recent days.

“[We’ve got] a great opportunity every three years to make decisions about how the country is going to be,” Ms King said.

She said her focus was on how to help people in the electorate considering cost of living pressures facing everyone, highlighting budget measures including energy bill relief, tax cuts and medication price decreases as well as Ballarat projects like the Sebastopol Hub as some of the examples of how she has helped while in government.

“We have had a drought of funding here in Ballarat under the Liberal Party,” Ms King said.

However, before Victorians vote for their federal representatives again, they have the opportunity to elect councillors in October while plenty of focus is also on the American election at the end of the year.

Amid all of this, Ms King said it was important to remember we have an “incredible democracy” in Australia.