NEWS DESK
Environment the target in quest for votes in Flinders THE state convenor the Australian Greens Willisa Hogarth is standing for the seat Flinders in the 2 July federal election. Held by Liberal Greg Hunt since 2001, Hogarth nomination for Flinders follows that of Labor’s Carolyn Gleixner. Mr Hunt is the current environment minister and both the Labor and the Greens candidates have signalled they will be attacking what they see as the government’s failure in that policy area. “This is going to be a campaign where the Greens remind the Coalition that they can’t get away with leaving the environment out of the conversation.” Ms Hogarth said. Ms Hogarth said last week’s federal budget “really cements the fact that Mr Hunt and his team have no plan to tackle climate change”. She describes herself as having a “strong history in the energy industry” and is “determined to advocate for the possibility of a renewable manufacturing industry in Flinders”. “The government has some fantastic opportunities to encourage investment in real jobs in places such as Hastings. But with Mr Hunt approving the continued cut to the renewable sector, it’s no surprise there is no investment in this new technology in Australia,” Ms Hogarth said. Both Ms Hogarth and Ms Gleixner stood unsuccessfully for the 2014
state election, Ms Gleixner in Nepean against sitting Liberal Martin Dixon and Ms Hogarth “as a support candidate” for the Upper House seat of Eastern Victoria. Ms Hogarth says she is backed by Greens branches on the Mornington Peninsula and Bass Coast Shire. “The growth of support in our area has been very exciting, but it also shows that the people of Flinders are sick of being forgotten. They’re looking for more than what the old parties can offer them,” she said. Ms Hogarth, a mother of three, is retraining as a secondary teacher and works part-time for a not-for-profit education focused organisation. Keith Platt
Catch me if you can: Red Hill South’s Ty Sharp is undefeated in motocross racing.
Motocross star stays in lead Branch backing: Australian Greens candidate Willisa Hogarth has nominated the environment as the key issue in Flinders electorate.
Sign up to vote ENROLMENTS to vote in the July federal election close 8pm Monday 23 May. Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said all Australian citizens aged 18 years and over – including 17 year olds turning 18 on or before 2 July - are required by law to enrol and vote in the election. “Enrolling and voting is compulsory. If you are not enrolled, you can’t vote in the 2016 federal election,” Mr Rogers said. He said anyone who has moved in the past three years should also ensure their details on the electoral roll are correct. Enrol online at aec.gov.au or check details at aec.gov.au/check or call 13 23 26. Enrolment forms are available from at any AEC office or Australia Post outlet.
RED Hill South motocross star Ty Sharp remains undefeated after winning all three of his races in the 65cc C grade class at Ararat on the weekend. The nine-year-old rode well on a challenging track, winning his first race by 01.099 seconds, his second by 27 seconds and his third by 23 seconds. Sharp now sits on top of the class, having won all his races this season. He will now contest the Victorian Junior Motorcross Championships at Mildura on 11-12 June. Riding in Victoria’s premier motocross competition for juniors – the M2R Helmets Victorian Junior Motocross Championships – Sharp started in March at Outtrim and then moved on to Warrnambool for round two in April. “I really liked the jumps and the
corners at Warrnambool. I got stuck in the starting gate in race one so was a fair way behind the field and I had to catch up quickly and still came out and won.” Sharp recently took part in a coaching day at Ararat to get used to the track – which obviously paid dividends on the weekend. “I had a lot of fun there and now know the way the track flows and moves so it should be great fun,” he said last week. Sharp started racing in 2013, but took a break last year to play footy. “I wanted to have a go at footy but I really like the excitement of motocross,” he said. “I would like to thank my sponsors and my mum and dad for all their help throughout the season. I would feel really happy if I managed to win a Victorian title.” Stephen Taylor
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