A key independent MP has revealed how she will decide who to back if the upcoming election produces a hung Parliament.
Recent polls indicate the Albanese government is unlikely to retain its narrow two-seat majority at the next election, while the Coalition may struggle to win enough seats to form a majority government.
This means Australia’s next Prime Minister could ultimately be decided by a handful of crossbench MPs, as it was in 2010.
In an interview with Sky News Australia on Thursday, Fowler MP Dai Le indicated she was open to working with either side of politics.
Ms Le told Sky News host Chris Kenny that she did not want to “be presumptuous” about the outcome of the election, but that if she was re-elected she would continue to “serve and to fight for my community”.
When asked whether she was more inclined to support Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton to form a minority government, Ms Le said it would be “whoever gives me the best outcome for Fowler”.
“I will fight to ensure that we get the best outcome for Fowler,” she said.
“That means we (will) have an opportunity to talk and discuss and put it on the table in terms of what will be delivered here.”
Fowler was previously a safe Labor seat, having been held by the ALP since its creation in 1984.
However, Ms Le won the seat in 2022 when Labor attempted to parachute former New South Wales Premier and Labor Senator Kristina Keneally into the electorate.
The Vietnamese-born MP has also recently attacked the Albanese government for failing to invite her to a citizenship ceremony in an apparent violation of the ministerial code.
During her interview with Sky News, Ms Le said people in her electorate were really struggling with cost of living pressures.
“A lot of people in Fowler, in South West Sydney, and I think middle Australia are really feeling the pains of the cost of living increase through energy bills,” she said.
“I mean, people are telling me that they can’t pay their house insurance or car insurance, let alone health insurance.
“People are telling me how much more expensive it is today, in this day and age, to go out and get a bag of groceries.”
The Fowler MP said had held her third annual “Bring Your Bill Day” at her office on Thursday, an event bringing together government agencies and not for profit organisations, where local residents can come and find out how they can apply for rebates they’re entitled to or seek assistance.
“A lot of people don’t actually know how to read their bills. They don’t know that they’re entitled to a rebate, and they don’t know… where to seek support,” she said.
Ms Le said people came with their energy bills, their telephone bills and their water bills, but that there had also been “so many requests for food vouchers”.
“It’s really a struggle out here,” the Fowler MP said.
