for a11 ,, DesSoares

What are the three key issues facingthe people of Moreton?

Wehave 95,000 voters, with some 40 per centbornoverseas.There'sa high multiculmralelememhere.We have Indians, Chinese,Africans,we are very diverse. The age spanis also large. In termsof small business,wearethe fourth largest,with some15,000individual entities.Other industries,weareheavyonhealth care,and there is some manufacmring.

The keyissuesin our area are transportation, employment, health and education.

Why should the people vote foryou?

I've never been apolitician,so I hope to bringa freshperspective. I'vepromised peopleIwillanswer theirqueries anddeal withchemwithbonesryandrespect. I'm neither rightnorleft,buta sensible middleof-the-road.I'm notbuilt byideology, but myown doctrines. Ihopetobe avoice for thosewhohavenone.

Mypassionsareeducation., opporttuiity, equalityand fairness. I believeinaccessible educationfor all:weneed toensure that everyone has access to the same qualityeducationregardlessof wealthor backgrow1d.

lwantto helpthepeopleof Moreconto rediscover theirvoice.Weneed tobecome engaged and speakandbeheard on the issues that matter co us.Weneed codefine what type of communitywewant tolive in and the servicesweexpecr governmem toprovidefor us.Weneed to speak up anddefinehowwewant ourlocalmember co behave bothin Parliament andin the community.Weneed tobringback respect in thewaywe dealwitheachother inour civicLife.

The campaign trail is arough and challenging one, which certainly needs thebenefit of strategy to reach out to as many voters as possible. How are you dealing with this?

I'vedomknocked atsome1000 homes already.You'll/indme atrailwaystations andbus stops talking topeople. I'm also activeon social media,Pacebookand Twittermostly.Ilike reaching out and talking copeopleat events and barbecues. TheIndiancommunityI've metwith extensivelyin therecentpast,aswellas theFijian-Indiancommunityhere. We've recentlyhad thenewyearcelebrations in manyIndian communities;1enjoyed meeting manypeopleatthe Kerala celebrationsparticularly! I have many ludian-origin patients in mypractice, from across the diaspora,butparticularlySouth Africa. SoI'd sayyes,I amwell acquainted withthe Indiancommunityin myelectorate. What is your understanding of issues concerned with the multicultural community in Moreton and how are you best placed to address them?

As anoverseas-bornAustralian - I moved here fromIndiaas a 15-year-oldwith my mum - I th.ink I understand verywellthe issuesfaced byfamiliesas theysettlein. I also treat manyoverseas-bornpatientsand haveovertheyearscomein closecontact withmanyfamilies atvarious stages of integration.Iremember verywellhavingto learn awholehostofnewskills,atschool andoutsideof school,simplyin order to fw1ctionwell.Butwe allworkhardatout studies,and.inoutprofessions, to give back co thesociety thatwelcomed us in.As an ortl1opaedic surgeon,Ihavepaid back400 times, intax, over and above caring for thoseinneed.Australiaowed menothing, but gave me everything, soI want co give bade ln theIndiancommunity, Iwould saywe have .norreallystepped up,we are too busy earningaLiving!But I di.inktheawareness is growingthatif wedon't participate,we willniissom.Would youl.i.ke to simply complainwhen things arenot satisfactory, or get up and tryto help? Indians make upabout 2-3per cent - or isit 4per cent? - of thepopulation,andwe should have representationto thatnumber.\Xie contribute significantly to the economy,and as a community,wevalueeducation,family ties,aged care,all of which are vitaltotl1e widercommunity. Sowe should standup andmake an effort.

How can we better encourage new Australians to become involved in politics?

What do you enjoy most about politics? Meetingpeople. Talkingcothem,and equally,listeningto them. I'vejust come off a discussionwhereI wastold,yoLJguys want toputa scop to allpoker machines.I listened closely,and thenreplied thatin fact we don'twant to,we justwantto findways tominimise the harm theycause. l think the message got home!

Whatmightpeople not know about you?

That1wentto schoolin the northern suburbsof Sydney,andstudiedmedicine atSydneyUniversity.That afterworking in NS\'v'for a numberofyears,mywife andI moved coNepal toworkwith aninternational charity that provided holistic medical careandrehabilitation to peopleand faniilies affected byleprosy. That1workedin Kolkaca andMumbai withMotl1erTeresa's organisation.That I continue to teachcoday, for thePacific IslandsOrthopaedicAssociationin Honiara.

Andyouuiight notknowthis,but my mumtl1inkspoliticsis a dirtybusiness!

Allan Thomas JLN - NSW Senate

What convinced you to join the party of yotu choice?

I wasborn in Fijibut I'm an Australian citizen.I have Uncles andAw1tieswho areof IndianoriginandHinduism has alwaysbeena part of ourfamilysetup. In the1970s,I migrated toAustraliawithll1)' parents.They sawoppormnitiesfor us here. Ijoined tl1eJacquiLambie Network OLN) becauseIcanseehowherpolicies havea benefit wmyfamilyand ourcow1try. We celebrate PijiDayand all the majorf{indu festivals,I'm all for multiculturalism,it's one of the biggest valuesinthis country.Jacqui Lambie's policiesai·e aboutcelebratingour differences but norimposingonAustralia.

BeinganAustraliancitizen,I want to see jobs remain inAustralia, Iwane to stop theFfAs and impose heavierforeign taxes co reduce the deficit. lhave nodisputes regardinginrniigration,as longaspeople's values are genuine and theywane to bepare of the Australian wayof life.

I spent 14yearsin the Australian Defence Poree.SinceI leftthe armyI havehelped provideresourcestohelpthose veterans receiveadequate benefits. I have seena lot of changesin legislation to the financial benefitsof veterans.These soldiers put their lives forward toprotect this great countryand tl1eyshould be significantly rewarded and not have to justifytheir benefitsgiven tl1erigoursof defence force life. I have been lobbyingataMinisterial leveltohelplowerandmiddleclasspeople who are findingit hard to makeendsmeet. There'snorewardsforthem,no trying to getahead. lc's about helpingpeople by keepingAustralian jobsinAustralia.

The campaign trailis a rough and challenging one, which certainly needs the benefit of strategy to reach out to as many voters as possible. How are you dealing with this?

Ihave beengetting out thereand talking topeople. rhavegonetotheAustralian Workers'Unionmembers at PortKembla (inNSW)totalkabouttl1eSouthAusrralian submarineannouncement.\X7ehavea manufacturingplant inNewSoutl1Wales making steel, sowhyaren'twe usingthatin theproductionofAustralia's submarines? Whyarewe usingforeignresources?Ihave been speakingwith themabout theirissues. JobswiUbe lost.Moneyisgoingoverseas andwe're los.i.ogour. I havealsospoken withNSWl\faritimeEngineersabout emTironmentalprotectionand theirissues.

I have been usingsocial mediatoreach out wpeopleandattending rallies all aroundAustralia for veterans' affairs.

I Jivein Ballina(in regionalNSW). I am a memberof a minoritytryingcoget my nameoutthere.

Why should people vote for you?

\Xieneed co electpeople witl1 good values whoarenot from tl1e majorparties.The Senateisaboutindividuals,especiallythose from regional areas,pusliingthe concerns of their community.

Whatare the three key issues facing people this election?

Firstly,employment and howwego aboutsolvingchis problem.Weneed to backourselvesandimposeheavier taxes onforeigncompanies. Wehavegrear tradespeopleinAustraliaand weneed toinvestinupskillingand put greater investmentintoourresources, forexample, the foodindustry.

Thesecondissue isuseof ourprime agriculturalland. Over the decadeswe've seen the loss of our land to foreign investors. \Veneedtoput moremoneyinto researchinghowwe canprotectourprin1e agricultural land anddevelopour crops. \Y./e shouldbeprovidingsubsidies to farmers to helpthem through droughtand todevelop theircropsimoresources to be used by Australians.

\Xieneed toback ourselvesand protect the vulnerable.The pensioners, the unemployedneed to be helped. Politicians are getting regular payincreases andwe can'tafford to helpthosewhoneed it most and tliat needs to change.

What is your opinion on preference deals?

Thecurrent coalition has backed itself intoacorner.Theywant more seats in the Senate,buttheindependentswill get more seatsin this election.The independentswiU have more of a chance to change tl1ingsand make things right.

What is your understanding of issues concerned with the multicultural community in Australia?

1don't thinkracism is actuallya bigthing in[hiscountry.As someoneof dark colour intheAusrralian Defence Poree, Iwould have felti[up front, but the dynauiicof chiscountrymeans weprovideassistance topeoplewhoneeditmost. \Yleneed to embrace and acceptpeoplefromother countries just as foreigners need [()accept theyhave a dutyof careto abide bythe constitutionof Australia and havean understandingof English. Australiansare a veryembracingpeopleandnew niigrants arerewarded bypeoplecelebratingtheir cultures.

How can we better encourage new Australians to become involved in politics?

Iwould encourage people ro see how open parliament in Australiais.When workingonveteransissues, I cook timeto readparliamentaryreports and the moreI readof government reportsandparts of Hai1sard,the greaterw1derstandingI had ofpoliticsin Australia. I thinkyouhave a better understandingdoingthatthan readingwhat (Rupert)Murdochand his newspaperswantthecommunitytosee. lt's alsoimportant formoremulticultural membersof the communityto get involved. Watchdebates on television, get a better ideaof what itisyou'revotingfor.

What do you enjoy most about politics? Beingin theAustralianDefenceForce,I reallyexperienceda sense of camaraderje thatI have also foLmd intheJLN. Senacors are there to take your issueson, they're genuinepeopleand havingworkedwitl1 them in the past,beingpartof thatgroup wouldplltmeingood stead.

What might people not know about you? Speakingto me on tl1ephone, people wouldn'tknowI'm F'ijian. r was born d1ere butwasbroughtupin Australia. Lookingat myname people wouldn't guess.