Alistair Coe has officially launched the Liberals' ACT election campaign, declaring Canberrans can make history by voting out Andrew Barr's Labor on October 17.
At the Liberals' campaign launch at the National Arboretum, Mr Coe told the party faithful that his team had a genuine chance of unseating Labor later this month to end their 19-year spell in the political wilderness.
"In 13 days time, just 2500 people need to change their vote in order to change the government," Mr Coe told Sunday night's event.
"I'm sick of people telling me that this is a Labor town. I'm sick of people saying that the Liberals can't win.
"It's clear there are so many people that are Labor voters that have decided that this government has been in too long, it's clear that there are so many Labor people that are going to be lending the Liberal party their vote in just two week's time."
The crowd, which included candidates, staffers, volunteers and supporters, heard a video message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who didn't appear in person at the launch despite attending Saturday night's NRL final between Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks at Canberra Stadium.
In his message, Mr Morrison endorsed the Canberra Liberals' plan to grow the ACT economy by lower taxes.
"The reason that I know that Alistair Coe can deliver lower taxes and better services is because he is a Liberal, because that is what Liberal governments do," Mr Morrison said in the message.
In a 20-minute speech delivered without notes, Mr Coe set out the Liberals' expensive and expansive policy platform, while attacking Andrew Barr's Labor as tired and out of touch with Canberra families.
He used the campaign launch to unveil another policy designed to ease hip pocket pressure, promising free before and after school care for primary school students. Under the scheme, the Liberals say a single parent earning $80,000 a year with two children would be eligible for vouchers worth $40 a week, which would provide three and a half free days of after school care.
Mr Coe said under a Liberal government families would save an average of $1800 a year as result of its various promises, including its pledge to freeze residential rates.
"Canberra families have been doing it tough. Canberra families have done the heavy lifting this year," he said.
"They have made the sacrifices. They have gone through a tough period. Now is the time for the government to recognise that hard work, to recognise that sacrifice and to give back some of their own money.
"The Canberra Liberals believe that you, Canberra families, are the backbone of our community and that's why everything that we do is about putting Canberrans first."
The launch also heard speeches from deputy leader Nicole Lawder and Mr Coe's wife Yasmin, who described her husband as a compassionate man and dedicated father.
In somewhat of a surprise, Zed Seselja, the Liberals' only representative in Federal Parliament, did not speak at the launch despite being in attendance.
In contrast, federal Labor figures Anthony Albanese, Katy Gallagher, Tanya Plibersek and Penny Wong all featured in ACT Labor's campaign launch, which was held on September 19.
