Liberal candidate Bridget Archer has delivered a clear warning to her party after winning the hearts of voters by crossing the floor in parliament.
Ms Archer, who represents the Tasmanian seat of Bass, told ABC’s she would do so again if necessary.
Last year Ms Archer famously backed a bill xjmtzywby Independent MP Helen Haines, calling for a federal integrity commission.
“I don’t take this decision lightly at all. I take this decision very seriously to stand here. And it’s a difficult decision. This is one of the most important things that we come to this place to do,” she said at the time.
In late 2020, Ms Archer was vocally critical of her party’s plan for a cashless welfare debit card.
More recently, in February this year, she was one of five MPs to cross the floor on a vote over the government’s religious discrimination bill.
Describing her first term in federal politics to as a “baptism of fire”, Ms Archer said she had now “found her way” in Canberra.
Ms Archer said she would go against the party on issues that were important to her electorate.
“I always reserve my right to cross the floor, on anything that is important to the people in northern Tasmania – that’s what I’m there for,” she said.
Labor candidate for Bass, Ross Hart, who lost the seat to Ms Archer in 2016 and is now recontesting it, said she would not need to cross the floor if her party represented the people of her electorate in the first place.
“The only reason why she’s crossed the floor on those issues is because the Liberal Party doesn’t represent the people here in northern Tasmania … the Liberal member for Bass is not listened to by the Prime Minister of Australia,” Mr Ross said.
“A vote for Bridget Archer is a vote for Scott Morrison.”
The liberal party currently holds Bass by a margin of just 0.4 per cent, the smallest of any coalition-held seat.
Since 1993 only one sitting federal member has been re-elected by the electorate.
