Canberra Labor MP Gai Brodtmann says for Canberrans the federal election will be about "jobs, jobs, jobs".
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But Liberals Senate candidate Zed Seselja says public service job losses would be similar under the two major parties, with "stable and competent government" a critical issue for Canberra residents.
With a date for the election locked in, local residents can expect candidates to hit the streets in an effort to win votes.
Mr Seselja said there would be very little difference in the number of public service jobs to be lost under a Coalition or Labor government, but he promised a Coalition government would grow the Canberra economy.
"Canberrans have seen close up what dysfunctional government looks like over the last few years and I think there'd be hundreds of thousands of Canberrans who want stable government over and above anything else," he said.
The former ACT opposition leader said he would be running a grassroots campaign over the next five weeks.
"I will be focused in the outer suburbs, meeting people and listening to them but sharing our plans for a better government."
Ms Brodtmann said there would be between 12,000 and 20,000 public service jobs lost under a Coalition government.
"Canberrans have a very clear choice on the jobs front,'' she said. ''The Coalition has highlighted the fact that it's got a complete distain for the public service and also Canberra," she said.
Ms Brodtmann said when she was out door-knocking and also running a mobile office at the weekend, constituents had not raised the issue of the government's increase to the efficiency dividend on the public service from 1.25 per cent to 2.25 per cent from next July.
''With the economic statement we've targeted, as we always have, inefficiency rather than jobs,'' she said.
Over the border in Eden-Monaro, traditionally considered a bellwether electorate, Liberal Party candidate Peter Hendy said job opportunities and job security were big issues in his community.
"As I go around the electorate it's quite sad to see so many stores have closed in the main streets of many of our country towns, and that means jobs as well," he said.
Mr Hendy said that on Monday he would join the opposition spokesman for communications and broadband, Malcolm Turnbull, in Cooma to talk to locals about the provision of telecommunication services.
At a local level, ACT Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said cuts to the public service could be expected no matter who takes hold of the country after the federal vote in five weeks’ time.
“The problem is whoever is the federal government after September 7 has a very, very bad budget position and they will be looking to make cuts,” he told ABC Radio.
“Those cuts will be made whether it’s Liberal or Labor.”
ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher also told the ABC that job cuts were an ongoing concern voiced by voters in the capital.
“I think there’s no doubt jobs in Canberra is going to be a big issue for local people when they go and vote,” she said.
“I hear that from people when I’m out and about.”