And Now Get Ready For The - Kate For Canberra Campaign!

Fremantle community independent Kate Hulett has announced this morning that she is extending her Kate For Fremantle State election campaign to contest the federal election, after she secured a 26% swing against Simone McGurk, a sitting Labor minister, at the recent State election and led the vote count for several days ‘in the face of widespread electoral issues’.

Kate Hulett. Credit Mark Naglazas

Ms Hulett said this morning that, following consultation with the Fremantle community over the two weeks since the WA election, it had become apparent that there was an overwhelming desire to convert the energy and enthusiasm of her campaign for Fremantle and expand it to also challenge Labor’s hold on the Federal seat of Fremantle at the federal election in May.

So, Kate Hulett, an independent business owner and creative producer who has owned and run a shop in the heart of Fremantle for over a decade, will now challenge Fremantle MP Josh Wilson, the Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

“I have had literally hundreds of people contact me in recent days asking me to maintain this extraordinary momentum to keep challenging the major parties and provide proper representation for Fremantle in government,” Ms Hulett said.

“What the community is telling me is no surprise. They feel that both major parties are completely ineffective and out of step with them on the important issues impacting us all – like AUKUS, gas exports, housing, the cost of living, taking care of our city – and as a community, we are demanding an alternative.”

Ms Hulett also addressed speculation about the need for a full recount in Fremantle after Labor’s margin in their former stronghold was reduced to less than 1%, or the prospect of a legal challenge to the outcome after state-wide reports of irregularities with voting and problems plaguing the WA Electoral Commission count. She said that ensuring the integrity of the democratic process was paramount.

“I have joined calls for an independent Parliamentary inquiry to ensure the irregularities in the WA state election never happen again, but after asking the community what they want to do next with this incredible people-powered campaign, they have overwhelmingly asked me to focus on the future rather than litigating what has happened,” Ms Hulett said.

Ms Hulett also observed that, despite a major party preference deal that saw the Liberals funnel their votes to Labor in Fremantle in exchange for Labor preferences in several key regional seats, Ms Hulett still secured a majority of Liberal preferences and nearly 60% of all second preferences flowed to her in the final two candidate preferred vote for Fremantle – where she secured 49.1%.

Retaining pre-existing campaign infrastructure including headquarters, corflutes, social platforms, branding and hundreds of volunteers, and harnessing the exponential momentum of her campaign and elevated profile during a protracted vote count, Ms Hulett plans to rapidly scale the Kate for Fremantle campaign to expand across the federal electorate.

The federal division of Fremantle encompasses the state electorates of Fremantle, Bibra Lake, Cockburn and Jandakot, all of which saw substantial swings of 15-25% against Labor at the WA election that largely went to independents and minor parties instead of flowing to the Liberals.

“While Fremantle loves our community, we also care deeply about national issues,” Ms Hulett said. “On all levels, we feel misrepresented and uninspired by the two major parties. People feel unheard, disconnected and ignored, but my campaign has shown how we can make the government pay attention to us.

“Fremantle recently made it crystal clear how much it cares about the environment and our kids’ futures, and that means no nuclear and no new gas – both terrible deals that rip us off. The government is way out of step with the community – just this week, Albanese and Dutton are teaming up in Canberra to gut more nature protections to benefit big corporations.

“We have already sent the WA government a message they won’t forget, and now Fremantle will make its voice heard across Australia. The energy our campaign has generated so far is extraordinary, and we are just getting started.”

So, Folks, get ready for the Kate For Canberra campaign!

* By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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