Scott Morrison's popularity should not sway people wanting to vote for Liberal Bridget Archer, who says this year's vote is not about a leader as it is about representation.
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Ms Archer, who has served as the incumbent member for Bass for the past three years, says she is not concerned about the popularity of the Prime Minister.
"The Prime Minister's job is about balancing the needs of all electorates, and what I am elected to do is to represent the people of Bass and sometimes those two things come into conflict," she said.
"I don't think either of us would be doing our jobs right if we were always in agreement and all he was doing was the things that I want all the time," she said.
Ms Archer is a woman of conviction, a former mayor of George Town council, she has spent a large portion of her working life in the public eye.
She said the challenges of being in a role like this was the impact it had on her family, but that equality was turning the wheel and changing the scope for others.
"I had three of my five children while in public office, so I had kids, babies with me, breastfeeding in the council chamber," she said.
"The challenges faced by a woman in Parliament is no different to the challenges faced by women elsewhere but we need to occupy those spaces...it is changing," she said.
"I hope that from what I did, it changes and paves the way for another young woman coming through and we are seeing that, more young women occupying those spaces."
Ms Archer said she was proud of the last three years and believed that she had represented the people of Bass in an authentic way.
"I have done what I said I was going to do; I have represented the electorate and listened."
"I am proud of the stance that I have taken on the issues that are important to Bass."
Somewhat controversially, Ms Archer crossed the floor to vote against her party on religious discrimination and has also withheld her vote on the cashless welfare card debate.
She said both of those decisions were emotional to make, but at the end of the day she made them because of her conviction to the people of the electorate.
In particular, the decision to abstain from voting on the cashless welfare card was difficult.
"It was a challenge for me because it was early on in my political career," she said.
However, a common thread was that she stood by her conviction and wanted to represent the electorate as best she could.
She said a vote for her was not a vote for Scott Morrison but a vote for a person who would listen and ensure the people of Bass had their issues and ideas heard in the Parliament.
"If it wasn't for me, and my decision to cross the floor, the religious discrimination bill would have passed," she said.
Ms Archer said a vote for her was a vote for someone who would put the needs of the electorate above her own and if there was an opportunity to cross the floor again, if it didn't suit the needs of Bass, she would "absolutely" do it again.
She said she did not stand for party politics, particularly at election time, that focused on "fixing a problem" that wasn't the federal government's responsibility or remit.
"I am more focused on long-term solutions and how the federal government can support that," she said.
And the best way she can do that, she says, is to listen.
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Caitlin Jarvis
I have worked in the Tasmanian digital/print media for 11 years, spanning two newsrooms. I have developed a keen interest in agricultural, development and education news, as well as issues-based long-form journalism. Contact me at caitlin.jarvis@examiner.com.au
I have worked in the Tasmanian digital/print media for 11 years, spanning two newsrooms. I have developed a keen interest in agricultural, development and education news, as well as issues-based long-form journalism. Contact me at caitlin.jarvis@examiner.com.au
