Cunningham
As at 19 October, the declared candidates for the electorate of Cunningham are:
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Sharon Bird - Australian Labor Party I believe education is the key to people participating fully and equally in our society. I also believe that education expenditure is an investment in a stable and prosperous society and economy. That’s why it is disgraceful that Australia's investment in education is lagging behind 17 of the world's most developed economies. In fact, the Howard Government's investment in education as a share of the Budget is set to fall again from 7.7 percent in 2005-06 to 7.4 percent by 2010-11. This is why Kevin Rudd has proposed Labor’s ‘Education Revolution’ to re-invest in our people through incentives such as the program to address the serious shortage of maths and science students by halving HECS for those students and halving it again if they work in those fields after graduation – reducing the brain drain overseas. The other significant issue for our university staff and student bodies is the need to get rid of WorkChoices. The Howard Government has attempted to push AWAs into universities through funding agreements. There is no doubt a returned Howard/Costello Government would pursue this much more vigorously than so far. We will scrap Mr Howard's unfair industrial relations laws and replace it with a new and balanced system. After 11 long years Australia needs New Leadership. That’s why I ask you to support Labor at the 24 November election. |
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John Derbridge - Christian Democratic Party My original draft, handwritten the day I received my invitation, was nearly five hundred words long. I wrote with passion about the seven keys areas of Family, Education, Health, Housing, Transport, Environment and Economy. However, I have been limited to between 100 and 150 words, so here they are below. The CDP stands for values that are old fashioned and timeless. These values include: The family unit, the union of man and woman wherein children are raised; Having the fundamental right to an education regardless of social status; A health system that provides care with dignity; Ownership of a residence which can be called home; The ability to travel, whether by car or public means, without congestion; Fresh air and water, filtered through nature’s own means; An economy founded not on greed of the minority but the basic needs of the majority. I agree with many of the policies of the major parties, I have just a different view as to which items should be priorities. Having been unemployed, struggled through University as a part-time student, paid off a mortgage and attempting to raise three children, I do see that the carrot of 34 Billion tax cut as a temptation, but wouldn’t it be better spent fixing problems than buying votes. |
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Colin Fowler - Liberal Party NO STATEMENT PROVIDED |
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Jess Moore - Socialist Alliance Jess Moore and the Socialist Alliance stand for abolishing all of John Howard’s anti-worker laws, including the hated WorkChoices. We urgently need a sharp U-turn away from the Liberal government’s policies and Kevin Rudd’s ‘Lite’ version of them. We’re for troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan now; Aboriginal land rights, not land grabs; urgent action on climate change; and for free healthcare, education & public transport. In summary, we’re for people before profits; planet before profits. We aim to help build grassroots movements that are too powerful to be ignored, like the one to bring home troops from the Vietnam War. Ensure you maximise your vote by voting 1 Socialist Alliance, 2 Greens, and then ALP before Liberal. If elected Jess would take only the average wage and donate the rest back to campaigns for social justice and environmental sustainability. For more information visit www.socialist-alliance.org |
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Michael Organ - Greens The election on 24 November provides the people of Australia with the opportunity to bring about an end to the Howard government and a return justice, equity and fairness within our nation. The Greens are the only party calling for the shredding of the WorkChoices legislation and its replacement by an industrial relations systems which protects the hard won wages and conditions of Australian workers. The Greens are a party of principle and strong supporters of the union movement. A vote for the Greens in the Senate and House of Representatives will ensure that the major parties are not given a free reign to implement their anti-worker and socially unjust agenda. This election is not about Howard vs. Rudd - it is about issues of substance, such as health, education, welfare, climate change and world peace. Vote 1 Green. |
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