WITH the federal election approaching on May 3rd I have been asked by many locals who I would support in the electorate of Monash. 

I have known the Liberal candidate Mary Aldred for over a decade and know that she is a passionate Gippslander who is committed to supporting our local communities, backing small business and standing up for the interests of Gippslanders. 

I have no hesitation in encouraging people to support Mary as the Coalition candidate in Monash. 

I have been bemused and bewildered by claims by so-called independent candidates. It is one thing to say that your financial support comes from “local individuals”, but it is misleading when nearly half a million dollars has in fact come from Climate 200 and even more from other external groups. 

Voters should also understand the false promises being made by some. For example, I saw the teal independent promising to get the West Gippsland Hospital built. Leaving aside the fact an independent cannot make such a commitment when they will never be in government, this issue is entirely a state responsibility and has nothing to do with the federal government. 

Likewise, road maintenance is a state responsibility and not something that federal independents can address. 

This sort of broad unaccountable electioneering is the complete antithesis of the integrity platform that so-called independents claim to stand for. 

The biggest threat to Australia’s future is a Labor-Greens-Teal Government and we can’t afford to risk that becoming a reality by supporting independents. 

I encourage all Monash voters to throw their support behind Liberal candidate Mary Aldred. 

Danny O’Brien MP, The Nationals Member for Gippsland South