As the final hours of campaigning in the United States election wrap up, Tasmania’s former Labor leader has flown across the world to help out.
Rebecca White, against a Donald Trump win, is pushing for a victory for current Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“I’ve joined the campaign in Philadelphia because Pennsylvania is the closest race and whoever wins here most likely wins the White House,” White shared on social media.
“In defence of democracy, women’s rights, human rights and basic decency we have joined this campaign because we hope to make a difference.”
Asked why she had travelled overseas instead of focusing on her Tasmanian constituents, White said the outcome of the election “will shape the future, including in our home state”.
“It will either give permission for hate or it will stand up against it and declare we will protect freedom and decency. That’s why l’m here,” she said.
“I’d prefer to go to the source and stop the hate from spreading rather than sit back and hope it doesn’t happen.”
“I’m using my position to take action. Because I want our state and our country to have a future that builds communities, not divides them.”
On the other side of the political spectrum, Liberal Lyons MP Jane Howlett has questioned who is paying for the trip and if White is “being paid for her efforts”.
“It’s clear that Ms White is trying to learn new campaigning tricks as she prepares to abandon her state seat of Lyons and run for Federal Labor,” she said.
“Does Ms White not think her constituents deserve her attention instead of US voters?”
“Have Tasmanian Labor forgotten the UK Labour Party was recently accused of foreign interference in the US election when their staff got pinged for assisting on the campaign trail.”
The US election will be held on November 5, with most of the action to occur on Wednesday 6 in Australia.
Polling by 538 and the American Broadcasting Company puts Kamala Harris slightly ahead of Donald Trump, at 48% and 47% respectively.
