Seven candidates will contest the September 7 federal election. After introducing themselves last week, this week they discuss the three main issues they believe impact Singleton and how these can be addressed at a federal level. An update of the election will be on The Singleton Argus website on the day.
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A final contribution from the candidates will appear in Tuesday’s Argus, September 3.
PRE-POLL voting is already underway in the federal election.
Pre-poll voting in Singleton is available at the former Junior Catholic School site with the entrance to the buildings off Patrick Street.
Hours of operation is from Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 5:30pm.
The booth is open on Fridays from 8:30am to 6pm.
On Saturday, August 31, the booth is open from 9am to 4pm.
The seven candidates as they appear on the voting slip are: David Atwell from the Greens, Michael Johnsen from the Nationals, Ann Lawler from the Citizens Electoral Council, Bill Fox from One Nation, Jennifer Stefanac from the Palmer United Party, Joel Fitzgibbon from the Labor Party and Richard Stretton from the Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group).
Polling places on election day are open from 8am to 6pm at: Branxton Community Hall, Broke Public School, Elderslie Community Hall, Glendon Brook Hall, Glendon Hall, Jerrys Plains Public School, Kirkton Public School, Milbroadle Public School, Mount Pleasant Public School, Pokolbin Bush Fire Brigade Station, Singleton Heights Public School, Singleton High School, Singleton Public School and Wollombi Public School.
Voting can take place at Singleton Anglican All Saints’ Court Hall,35 to 45 High Street, not the Parish hall which is the traditional venue. The church’s annual market day coincides with the election so there has been a move of venue for this election.
DAVID ATWELL
ALTHOUGH there are many issues affecting Singleton in general, I believe that the following are the top three:
The first is coal dust. As has been documented by Hunter New England Health, coal dust can cause asthma, emphysema, stroke, heart attacks, and lung cancer, amongst other life threatening illnesses.
Indeed, a local GP has demonstrated that there is a direct link between high coal dust days and a drastic increase in asthma attacks.
We need to act on coal dust now before our loved ones face suffering from these dreadful illnesses on a regular basis.
The second is coal seam gas (CSG). As has been demonstrated by the impact of CSG upon agriculture in Queensland, the effects can be devastating.
Good land has become unproductive. Water has been poisoned. Given 50,000 people are employed either directly or indirectly by the wine and associated industries alone, means to say their jobs are at risk.
If their jobs go, the Hunter will face an economic depression.
Education is the third issue for Singleton.
Gonski is fundamental for our children’s future along with our nation.
It must be fully implemented.
Furthermore the major failings at TAFE must be addressed whilst the universities need to have their $2.3 billion in funding returned.
As your potential representative in Canberra I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that these issues are dealt with.
MICHAEL JOHNSEN
AS I have been doorknocking and meeting with residents in Singleton over in past months, it is clear that people are becoming increasingly disconnected with the circus that is Kevin Rudd and Labor’s election campaign and feeling entirely forgotten by their local member.
Families at home in Singleton are more focussed on dealing with the day to day struggle to make ends meet, than whether Kevin 07 cut himself shaving or his latest thought bubble to shore-up votes in Queensland.
Job losses and job security, rising household bills and taxes are almost universal concerns, but in recent weeks, it is Labor’s secret plans to house an asylum seeker processing facility right here in our own backyard, that had people crossing the street to raise their concerns with me.
This issue goes to the question of trust.
That Labor would first try to hide these plans, then when caught out, try to cry ‘contingency’ is, in my opinion, disgraceful.
Rather than mouthing the party lines, our federal representative should be shouting with us in the streets.
If I am elected as the new Nationals candidate for Hunter, I will be your strong voice at the table in a new Coalition government and I will always put your jobs before my own.
ANN LAWLER
FOR Singleton and Australia the issues are: Can we stop the Cyprus style “bail-in” plan to steal savings and deposits from our financial institutions to prop up the global derivatives bubble?
The April 15 Financial Stability Board Report, states that legislation for “bail-in” is already “in train” in Australia.
Will you join the CEC’s demands for a US styled Glass-Steagall bank separation?
Completely separate our commercial banking right away from speculative investment banking?
Eliminate their $21.5 trillion dollars of derivatives contracts -- not your savings.
And, will you support the CEC’s fight to re-establish a government bank to direct public credit into rebuilding our farming and manufacturing base and, to build those major infrastructure projects in water, rail and more we’re told we can’t afford?
Regardless of which major party wins the election unless this stated shift in policy direction is implemented immediately the global demands for funds to capitalise speculation will drain our economy of any real value we still have left. Already, decades of speculative looting under free market policies such as de-regulation, privatisation and free trade have left us vulnerable but don’t wait until people are dying en masse through austerity and hardship before you act to stop it.
BILL FOX
THREE of the main issues I believe are affecting Singleton and the way to fix it is to prevent it from happening.
1. Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking – a method of extracting natural gas from underground shale formations, using pressurised water, sand and a chemical cocktail injected into a shale formation to loosen the shale and releases unknown chemicals etc. into the water table ruining our river systems.
2. Detention Centre for up to 1000 illegal immigrants to be built at Singleton Army Camp, Labor has said the facility would be built to accommodate people already within the immigration detention network if needed.
The people of Hunter were also told Cessnock Correctional Centre would always be a Low Security Prison. Will it be Privatised?
3. Mining Camp to house 1501 Fly In, Fly Out employees, where from China, Indonesia?
Reducing the chance of local employment, money being taken away from the local community as generally the people who live in these camps needs are met within the camp and they take their money home.
To address these issues from happening at a federal level Vote ONE NATION to fight against issue that not only affects Singleton but also affect Australia and Australians.
JENNIFER STEFANAC
THE three issues are: •Health - Coal dust is of major concern for the public in regards to health and safety. Covers need to be installed on trains to decrease respiratory illnesses. The Palmer United Party will inject $80 billion into the health budget.
•Regional Development - The Palmer United Party believes will release $70 billion to create confidence, demand and jobs. This can be done by changing the situation where companies pay tax quarterly, based on an estimate, to companies/small businesses being required to pay their tax annually based on their actual results. The Palmer United Party will also abolish Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT), injecting $4 billion into the Australian economy.
• Opportunity and Support - The Palmer United Party will increase the old age pension by 20 per cent and give every pensioner an additional $150 a fortnight. At the moment pensioners are collectively paid less compared to the expenditure of supporting refugees. We will reduce tax on the second job to 50 per cent. From July 1, 2014 the Palmer United Party will reduce income tax by 15 per cent putting $2500 in the average taxpayer's pocket. As the money circulates in the economy the government will get 10% GST. The Palmer United Party will make the first $10,000 of every home loan tax deductible which will boost the construction industry, home ownership and help every Australian to own their own home.
JOEL FITZGIBBON
NEVILLE Wran once said there were three issues in politics; jobs, jobs and jobs.
I’ve always been fond of the quote. Strong employment lifts government revenue and lowers government expenditure leaving more money for health, hospitals, roads, and other government expenditure priorities.
A job not only provides a wage, it also provides dignity, meaning, direction, and protection from many of our social ills including drugs and anti-social behaviour.
Singleton enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
We want to keep it that way by ensuring our economy remains strong.
This is not the time for big and unnecessary budget cuts.
They will kill the economy.
To allow the economy to continue to grow we need expand our road network, that’s why I support a Singleton by-pass which the state government is finally assessing.
Once there is a plan and design, it will have my full commitment.
The other path to sustainable growth and the retention of our low unemployment rate is training.
We’ve invested heavily in our schools and funded new trades training centres in our high schools.
We’ve also upgraded the Community College. We need more apprenticeships and more skilled people. I commit to continuing my work.
RICHARD STRETTON
HELLO my fellow members of the Hunter Valley.
My name is Richard Stretton and I am standing as your candidate for the Christian Democratic Party.
I believe that the biggest issue to face Singleton AND Muswellbrook in the short term is traffic control.
I applaud the expressway extension but we must move immediately to continue that extension to the north of Aberdeen and the Scone overpass is a must.
A much larger and long term issue that faces all of the Hunter electorate and indeed all of the nation is that of mining and coal seam gas.
It seems that we have forgotten the fact that that this nation cannot survive without food, food does not grow on the supermarket shelves, it grows on agricultural land.
Mining can produce a high income over the short term but after it has finished the land is unsuitable for agriculture for many years if ever.
Farming on the other hand produces a lower annual income but can do so indefinitely.
I am not anti-mining, we should access the mineral wealth of this land but only in areas where it will not affect agriculture or the water systems necessary to support it.
I support encouraging agriculture and manufacturing as the long term future for Australia.
May God bless this nation as he has in the past.