Dear Resident,

My name is Tim Watts and I’m proud to be the Member for Gellibrand.

I’m writing to introduce myself today because the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) recently undertook a redistribution of the electorate boundaries in Victoria due to the growth in Melbourne’s West.

The AEC has determined that your residence will be within the Gellibrand electorate from the time of the upcoming federal election.

I live in Melbourne’s West with my wife, who arrived from Hong Kong in the 1980s, and our two children. I’m proud to represent such a diverse and multicultural area and passionate about making our community and Australia a more harmonious multicultural society.

I was first elected the Member for Gellibrand in 2013. Before being elected to Parliament I worked in the IT and Telecommunications sector for nearly a decade. Since 2019 I’ve held the position of Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications and Cyber Security, working to protect Australians from cyber threats.

In the last eight years I’ve seen from the Opposition benches the consequences of a federal government that isn’t focused on the needs of our community.

I want to be part of an Albanese Labor Government that delivers for Melbourne’s West. We have a positive plan to build a better future for all Australians.

A plan that will create a better life for working families by addressing the cost of living and making it easier for you to get ahead and stay ahead.

We’ll make childcare cheaper and remove the financial barriers that discourage parents from working more hours and pursuing their careers.

We’ll get wages moving again after years of going nowhere, while creating secure work and making the system fairer for workers, as well as leading a national push to help close the gender pay gap.

All Australians should be able to access healthcare regardless of their bank balance. Labor built Medicare and we’ll always protect it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for a reliable high-speed broadband network. An Albanese Labor Government will expand full-fibre NBN access to 7 out of 8 homes.

I’ve seen the manufacturing sector in Melbourne’s West abandoned by the Coalition over the last eight years. Under an Albanese Labor Government Australia will once again be a country that makes things, creating secure jobs and strengthening our economy.

I look forward to meeting you out in the community in the coming weeks to talk more about Labor’s vision for Australia.

Sincerely,

Tim Watts MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GELLIBRAND