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News and Events
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Election 2007 - Answers to questions
The Glebe Society tasked several members to take notes during question time at the Meet the Candidates evening at Forest Lodge school on 15 November, and write summaries of what the candidates said. The summaries below are arranged in speaking order which was determined by a draw from a "hat".
Jenny Leong (Greens) Should the Commonwealth Government budget surplus be spent on tax cuts? Labor promised less spending at its launch, but what is needed is a change of direction. The surplus would be better spent on education, hospitals, and housing.
Hospitals. The problem is to defend the level of service. A major injection of funds is required. Labor must reinstate the nursing school and repair damage to the health system. Labor would be an improvement, but will it be enough? The Greens would abolish HEX at cost of $2.5b.
Transport - might additional Commonwealth funding be spent building more motorways? The record of State Labor is disappointing, including desalination, support of coal mining, and motorways. The Greens holding the balance of power in the Senate would ensure a change of direction and that sustainability measures would be passed in the Senate.
Affordable housing. Some affordable housing must be located in the inner city. The Government must also consider social amenity. Ms Leong supports the inner city housing co-op. What would you do about asylum seekers? It would be good to get rid of temporary protection visas, and a Rudd government would be the best hope of achieving this. However there is a problem - what happens to people already in detention?
Help for small business. Ms Leong acknowledged the need for investment to help small business achieve sustainability.
Encouragement for public transport. Ms Leong supported a trial of free public transport to determine whether cost is a disincentive to the use of public transport.
Do you favour reinstating the public dental service? Yes.
Tanya Plibersek (ALP) Should the Commonwealth Government budget surplus be spent on tax cuts? Ms Plibersek referred to the ALP's planned investment in infrastructure, the need for a sustainable society, and investment in education (the computers in schools program, university scholarships, and mature age scholarships). With the minerals boom and investment in broadband, the party is aiming for a productive economy and a productive society.
Hospitals. Ms Plibersek referred to the needs of indigenous communities, the need for tertiary nursing training (the ALP proposes to allocate $81m to nurse training), and the need to attract nurses who have left the system back into it. While local involvement in hospitals is desirable, this is different from setting up an additional layer of bureaucracy with local hospital boards. She also referred to plans for a dental scheme and a cancer research institute. A particular target was to halve the gap in life expectancy between aboriginal and white Australians.
Transport - might additional Commonwealth funding be spent building more motorways? Ms Plibersek commented that the GST allocation formula was incredibly complicated and the state had a good case for renegotiation. Funds were needed for roads, e.g. improving the Pacific Highway, but there was a major need for better public transport. One benefit of establishing an Infrastructure Commission would be that it would be ongoing and separated from the electoral cycle.
Affordable housing. Commonwealth land released for housing must be excess to requirements. It also needs to be affordable or able to provide community amenity, e.g. parks, transport, job creation or work opportunities closer to home. Current policy is to dispose of land to the top bidder, which militates against affordability. The policy would be changed to facilitate different uses. She cited the City West Project as an example.
What would you do about asylum seekers? Temporary protection visas would be abolished. Families with children should not be kept in detention and the processing process should be as short as possible.
Help for small business. To reduce problems for small businesses the ALP plans to reduce the amount of red tape, particularly as regards tax. The party plans a "one in, one out" policy, so that if any new regulation is introduced another would have to be discarded. Commonwealth Departments would also be required to make payments to non-government businesses within 60 days (instead of the current 120). Changes to workplace laws would also make things easier for small business.
Encouragement for public transport. Ms Plibersek expressed a personal opinion that the fringe benefit tax law which encourages car use should be changed. It would be preferable to subsidise the use of public transport. However, a first -rate public transport system would be the best incentive to reduce car use.
Do you favour reinstating the public dental service?
Yes.
Jane Ward (Ind) Should the Commonwealth Government budget surplus be spent on tax cuts? Should $50m be spent on national seniors card? The surplus would be better spent on housing and building a sustainable future.
Hospitals. Ms Ward called for the school of nursing to be reopened. Health costs could possibly be reduced by moving to two tiers of government. Indigenous health requires interaction with communities.
Transport - might additional Commonwealth funding be spent building more motorways? Ms Ward referred to stagnation and buckpassing under the state Labor government. Sustainable transport requires serious intent. Work on National Highway 1 is necessary. GST revenue should go back to state in which it is collected.
Affordable housing. State land had been sold off for the wrong purpose. Ms Ward said she doesn't trust the government to use land appropriately. She also supports the inner city housing co-op.
What would you do about asylum seekers? Ms Ward referred to her history of working with refugee support groups.
Help for small business. There is a need to simplify the tax system. Many women in small business need childcare.
Encouragement for public transport. There should be free public transport for all full-time students. An integrated ticketing system should be introduced. Four-wheel drive vehicles should be banned.
Do you favour reinstating the public dental service? Yes.
Mayo Materazzo (Dem) Ms Materazzo did not answer any questions.
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