The SSH posed eight questions to the candidates announced by May 24, 2016. The responses of those who replied are included here.
Infrastructure
In my opinion, with regard to the increase required in infrastructure to accommodate immigration, a budget should be allocated to give immigrants every opportunity to contribute to our society. Given the threat to our AAA rating, any of the proposed budgets seem unrealistic, however. Voting for Online Direct Democracy will mean saving billions on referendums, ballot boxes etc, which may well be used for infrastructure.
Climate Change
The Sydney electorate is a densely populated area, with WestConnex and emissions from that looming in our future. We cannot control the weather. We can, however, control our waste and emissions by choosing public transport instead of cars, doing everything we can to keep the air we breathe as clean as possible.
Do we have the right balance between prevention and adaptation? Whilst Australia continues to have the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions, going into the Paris Agreement to review emissions every five years is a step in the right direction. Is this enough? Not in my humble opinion.
Transport
With regard to waiting for the decision from the Australian National Auditor Office, not due until January 2017, we offer the public the ability to vote online. WestConnex is a highly charged issue, receiving complaints from elderly people who are now displaced due to compulsory evacuation of their homes, and the public in general. Complaints have been made about the lack of transparency, knowledge and choice. Further there is a cost to the environment, with fumes being emitted near schools and residential homes once the freeway is operational.
Online Direct Democracy will mean the end of picketing and the beginning of voting online, with majority votes represented in parliament.
My personal view is that funding for better public transport is much more sustainable and I fully support it.
Affordable Housing
My view is that no one need be homeless in Australia. The federal government should make all property available and cap rental costs. People should not pay more than 30 per cent of their income in rent. I have suffered having to move countless times due to no fault of my own. Housing is vital to one’s safety and wellbeing.
Constitutional Recognition of Australia’s First Peoples
Voting Online Direct Democracy means the need for and cost of referendums is obsolete. Changing the Constitution to honour our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is as simple as voting online and taking the majority to parliament. This will enable us to recognise our First Peoples, give them the societal standing they deserve and focus on rehabilitation for the damage we have inflicted on them. This will be a practical, political, legal and humanitarian solution.
Aged Care
With the responsibility of aged care packages moving to the federal government, we intend to be the voice of the people, ensuring that they are heard and the federal government held accountable.
It is my opinion that the federal government should take every step to ensure elderly people do age in their community. Tasks like going to the corner shop become impossible when the elderly are displaced. We owe it to our elders to give them the quality of life they deserve.
I believe the federal government should resource community services for the elderly by providing appropriate carers, home help, transport and leisure. The elderly can become isolated; just the other day I bumped into a neighbour, pushing her shopping trolley uphill, hardly being able to move in the process. I asked whether she had help and she replied “no”. I offered to help her, it was heart wrenching however, seeing her suffer like that just to get her shopping home.
Asylum Seekers
Under the Refugee Convention, Australia, in my opinion, needs to address the issue of long-term detention of refugees and amend that by gradually introducing refugees to society. People have been held in detention for far too long, resulting in a violation of human rights.
Offshore processing sometimes means a life sentence and this needs to stop right now.
Multiculturalism
As a party we do not have any policies on any issue, we do however support the majority vote of the public. Having said that, we are lucky we live in a relatively peaceful and tolerant society where racism is not a big issue. As Australians we celebrate cultures and my view would be to promote programs to unite people and focus on their similarities not their differences by bringing them together.
