FEDERAL ELECTION FLINDERS - MAY 21, 2022
FEDERAL
ELECTION 2022 You might be wondering why Mornington Peninsula Magazine is featuring the Flinders and Dunkley candidates for the May 21 election. After all, we’re a community and lifestyle magazine, not a ‘hard news’ publication. For the past 16 years we have been totally dedicated to supporting our community and highlighting the many community and lifestyle issues facing us – climate change and the environment, aged care, education, public transport, agriculture, business, arts funding, and many others. These issues are what the next Flinders and Dunkley MPs will need to resolve. So we asked three questions of every candidate we were able to contact before our April 21 deadline. Some chose not to respond. We hope the following pages will help you determine how you cast your vote on May 21. Questions for Flinders candidates: If elected, what would you bring to Flinders? With future lowering of emissions expected, how would you improve public transport in Flinders? Would you support or campaign for the Mornington Peninsula to become regional or peri-regional? These are the Flinders candidates as announced by the AEC on April 22: Alex VAN DER END, United Australia Party (not contacted) Cyndi MARR, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation (no response) Chrysten ABRAHAM, Liberal Democratic Party Zoe McKENZIE, Liberal Party of Australia (Victorian division) Jefferson EARL, Australian Federation Party (not contacted) Colin LANE, The Australian Greens – Victoria (no response) Sarah RUSSELL, Independent Surbhi SNOWBALL, Australian Labor Party (Victorian branch) (no response) Despi O’CONNOR, Independent Pamela ENGELANDER, Animal Justice Party Lisa Walton, publisher
ZOE McKENZIE
DESPI O'CONNOR
Liberal candidate for Flinders
Independent candidate for Flinders
If elected, what would you bring to Flinders? Reduce tax and open up new streams of funding through regional designation; explore options to establish a local trades school and a world-class hospitality and tourism training school; keep the Peninsula’s cost of living low and the quality of living high; protect our local environment and coastline, including Arthurs Seat and the Flinders Pier; and invest in local roads, footpaths, sporting and community facilities, internet and mobile reception. How would you improve public transport in Flinders? Eighty-two per cent of the Peninsula has no access to public transport; we are heavily reliant on cars, and the recent reduction in fuel excise tax by the Coalition has been gratefully received. We need our State Government to step up and invest not only in the bus network across the Peninsula, but to do its share in improving state roads so buses can use them and the rail network for which the Coalition has already committed $225 million, yet sits unused. Would you support or campaign for the Mornington Peninsula to become regional or periregional? I strongly support the Peninsula being designated as regional to get access to lower payroll tax and to open access to more funding streams. ‘Peri-regional’ is a new concept, as yet without meaning. It does not exist within the planning system.
If elected, what would you bring to Flinders? If elected, I would not only bring community-driven solutions for integrity, climate action and equality to Flinders, I would bring Flinders to Canberra with me. These issues, along with community consultation, housing, mental health, aged care and transport, are all critical to our people – and ones that I would work hard to solve. I will be a Flinders representative in Canberra, not a party representative in Flinders. How would you improve public transport in Flinders? Public transport in Flinders has been a neglected issue for far too long. The flow-on impacts of poor public transport range from worker shortages to traffic congestion to pushing our young people out of the area. As your representative, I commit to working hard with the State Government to secure more and improved public transport options for Flinders, including the electrification and double siding of the Hastings rail. Would you support or campaign for the Mornington Peninsula to become regional or periregional? I support the reclassification of the Mornington Peninsula as peri-regional to save our Green Wedge protections while reducing payroll tax for our small businesses. Simply reclassifying our area as ‘regional’ will not solve the problems that we have; we need to take a case-by-case approach to our issues so that we can have the benefits of both regional and metro statuses.
DR SARAH RUSSELL Independent candidate for Flinders Voices of Mornington Peninsula has endorsed me to be the candidate for Flinders. Because my campaign is funded by the community, I can speak without fear or favour. I will be a strong local voice. For years I’ve fought for older Australians to be treated with respect and dignity. Thanks to my advocacy work, aged care is an election issue. I have also fought for climate action, better mental health services and gender equity. To restore trust in government, we need to end political corruption by demanding transparency and accountability. For too long, fossil fuel and other corporations have influenced government decisions through donations. End those and we will get evidence-based policies, including strong climate action and greater investment in renewable energy. This will accelerate the shift to electric cars and buses, which will be revolutionary for transport on the Peninsula. I am concerned that the push to become regional/peri-regional may cause uncertainty around protecting our precious Green Wedge. Telecommunication services are poor on the Peninsula. Tackling this will be a priority because small businesses urgently need fast, reliable internet and excellent mobile phone coverage. I have runs on the board as an unpaid advocate. Imagine what I can achieve for Flinders as your parliamentarian.
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