for a11 ,, DesSoares

What are the three key issues facingthe people of Moreton?

We have95,000 voters, with some 40 per centborn overseas.There'sa high multiculmralelememhere.We have Indians, Chinese,Africans,weare very diverse. The age spanis also large. In terms of small business,wearethe fourth largest,with some 15,000 individual entities. Other industries,weareheavyonhealthcare,and there is some manufacmring. The key issuesin our areaare transportation,employment, health and education.

Why should the people vote foryou?

I'venever been apolitician,so I hope to bring a fresh perspective. I've promised peopleIwillanswer theirqueries anddeal with chemwithbonesryandrespect. I'm neither rightnorleft,buta sensible middleof-the-road.I'm not built byideology,but myown doctrines.I hope to be avoice for thosewho havenone.

Mypassionsareeducation., opporttuiity, equality and fairness. I believeinaccessible educationforall:we need toensure thateveryone hasaccess to the same qualityeducationregardless of wealthor backgrow1d.

lwantto helpthe people of Morecon to rediscover their voice.We need to become engagedandspeak and beheardon the issues thatmatterco us.Weneedco define whattype of communitywewant to live inandtheservicesweexpecrgovernmem to provideforus. We need to speak up anddefine howwewantourlocal member co behavebothinParliamentandin the community. We need to bringback respect in thewaywe dealwitheachother in our civicLife.

The campaign trail is a rough 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 at some 1000 homes already.You'll/indmeatrailwaystations andbus stops talking to people. I'm also active onsocialmedia,Pacebookand Twitter mostly. I like reaching out and talking co peopleat events and barbecues. TheIndiancommunityI've metwith extensivelyin therecentpast,aswellas theFijian-Indiancommunityhere. We've recentlyhadthenewyearcelebrations in manyIndian communities; 1 enjoyed meetingmanypeopleatthe Kerala celebrationsparticularly! I have many ludian-origin patientsin mypractice, from across the diaspora, butparticularlySouth Africa. SoI'd sayyes,I amwellacquainted withtheIndiancommunityin myelectorate.

What is your understanding of issues concernedwith the multicultural community in Moreton and how are you best placed to address them?

As an overseas-bornAustralian -I moved here from Indiaasa 15-year-oldwith my mum -I th.inkI understand verywellthe issues faced byfamiliesas theysettlein. I also treatmanyoverseas-bornpatientsand have over the yearscome in closecontact withmanyfamiliesatvariousstages of integration.Iremember verywellhavingto learn awhole host ofnewskills,atschool andoutsideof school, simplyinorder to fw1ctionwell.Butwe allworkhardat out studies,and.in outprofessions, to give back co thesociety thatwelcomed us in.Asan ortl1opaedic surgeon,I have paid back400 times, intax, overandabove caring for those inneed. Australiaowed menothing, butgavemeeverything,soI want co give bade ln the Indiancommunity, Iwould saywe have .norreallystepped up,weare too busy earningaLiving! But Idi.inktheawareness is growingthatif wedon't participate,we willniissom.Wouldyoul.i.ke to simply complainwhenthingsarenot satisfactory, or get up and tryto help? Indians make upabout 2-3percent -or isit 4per cent?- of the population,andwe should haverepresentationtothatnumber.\Xie contribute significantlyto the economy,and as acommunity,wevalue education, family ties,agedcare, all of whichare vitalto tl1e widercommunity. Sowe shouldstandup andmakeaneffort.

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

What do you enjoy most about politics? Meeting people. Talking cothem,and equally, listeningto them. I've justcome off adiscussionwhereIwastold,yoLJguys want to puta scop to allpoker machines.I listenedclosely,andthen replied thatin fact we don'twant to,we justwant to findways to minimise the harm theycause. l think the messagegot home!

What might people not know about you?

That 1 wentto schoolin the northern suburbsof Sydney,andstudiedmedicine atSydneyUniversity.That afterworking in NS\'v'fora number ofyears, mywife andI moved co Nepal toworkwith aninternationalcharity that provided holisticmedicalcareandrehabilitationto people and faniilies affected byleprosy.

That 1 workedin KolkacaandMumbai withMotl1erTeresa's organisation.That I continue to teach coday, for the Pacific IslandsOrthopaedicAssociationin Honiara.

Andyouuiight not know this, but my mumtl1inks politicsisadirtybusiness!

Allan Thomas

JLN - NSW Senate

What convinced you to join the party of yotu choice?

I wasborn inFijibut I'manAustralian citizen.I haveUncles andAw1tieswho are of Indian originandHinduismhas always beenapart of our familysetup. In the 1970s,I migrated toAustraliawithll1)' parents.Theysawoppormnitiesfor us here.

I joined tl1eJacquiLambie Network OLN) becauseI cansee howherpolicies havea benefit wmyfamilyand ourcow1try.We celebrate PijiDayand all the majorf{indu festivals,I'm allfor 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, Iwaneto stop theFfAsandimpose heavierforeign taxes co reduce the deficit. lhave no disputes regardinginrniigration,as longaspeople's valuesaregenuineandtheywanetobe pare of theAustralianwayof life.

I spent 14yearsin the Australian Defence Poree. SinceIleftthe armyI have helped provideresourcesto helpthose veterans receiveadequate benefits. I have seena lot of changesin legislation to the financial benefitsof veterans.Thesesoldiers put their lives forwardto protect this great countryand tl1eyshould be significantly rewardedand not have to justifytheir benefits given tl1erigoursof defenceforce life. I have been lobbying ataMinisterial level tohelplowerandmiddleclass people whoare findingithard to makeendsmeet. There'snorewards forthem,no trying to getahead. lc's about helping people 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 there and talking to people. r have gone totheAustralian Workers'Unionmembersat PortKembla (in NSW) totalkabouttl1eSouthAusrralian submarine announcement. \X7e havea manufacturingplant inNewSoutl1 Wales making steel, sowhyaren'twe usingthatin the production ofAustralia's submarines? Whyarewe usingforeignresources? I have been speakingwith them about their issues. JobswiUbe lost. Moneyis going overseas andwe'relos.i.ogour. I havealsospoken withNSWl\faritimeEngineersabout emTironmentalprotectionandtheirissues.

I havebeen usingsocial mediato reach out wpeople andattending rallies all aroundAustraliaforveterans' affairs.

I JiveinBallina(in regionalNSW). Iam amember of a minoritytryingcogetmy name outthere.

Why should people vote for you?

\Xieneed co electpeoplewitl1 good values who arenot from tl1e major parties.The Senateis about individuals,especiallythose fromregionalareas,pusliingthe concerns of their community.

Whatare the three key issues facing people this election?

Firstly,employment and howwe go aboutsolving chis problem.Weneed to back ourselvesandimposeheavier taxes onforeigncompanies. We havegrear tradespeopleinAustraliaandweneed to investin upskillingand put greater investment into our resources, forexample, the foodindustry.

The second issue isuse of ourprime agriculturalland.Overthe decadeswe've seen the lossof our land to foreign investors. \Veneedto put more money into researchinghowwe canprotect our prin1e agricultural landanddevelopour crops. \Y./e shouldbe providingsubsidies to farmers to help them through droughtand to develop theircropsimoresourcesto be used by Australians.

\Xieneed toback ourselvesand protect the vulnerable.The pensioners, the unemployed need to be helped. Politicians are getting regularpayincreases andwe can'taffordto help thosewhoneed it most and tliatneeds to change.

What is your opinion on preference deals?

Thecurrent coalitionhas backed itself intoa corner.Theywant more seats in the Senate,buttheindependentswill get more seatsin this election. The independents wiU have more of a chance to change tl1ingsand make things right.

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

1 don't thinkracism is actuallyabigthing in[hiscountry.As someone of dark colour intheAusrralian Defence Poree, Iwould have felt i[up front, but the dynauiicof chiscountrymeans we provideassistance to peoplewho needitmost. \Yleneed to embrace and accept people fromother countries just asforeignersneed [() accept theyhave adutyof care to abide bythe constitution of Australiaand havean understandingof English. Australiansare a veryembracingpeopleandnewniigrants arerewarded bypeoplecelebratingtheir cultures.

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

Iwouldencourage people ro see how open parliamentinAustralia is. When workingonveteransissues,Icook timeto readparliamentaryreportsandthe moreI read of government reportsandparts of Hai1sard,the greaterw1derstandingI had of politics in Australia. I thinkyouhave a better understanding doing thatthan readingwhat (Rupert) Murdochand his newspaperswant thecommunity to see. lt's alsoimportantformore multicultural membersof the communityto get involved. Watchdebates on television,get abetter ideaof whatitis you're votingfor.

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 issues on, they're genuine peopleand havingworkedwitl1 theminthe past,beingpartof thatgroup would pllt meingood stead.

What might people notknow about you? Speaking to me on tl1e phone, people wouldn'tknow I'm F'ijian. r was born d1ere butwasbroughtupinAustralia. Lookingat myname peoplewouldn't guess.