Federal Election 2022: Flynn candidates highlight which issues they believe matter most to voters

We put the exact same questions to all seven candidates for the Flynn electorate ahead of you casting your vote. Have their surprise responses changed you mind?

We put the same questions to each Flynn candidate and asked them to identify which issues they thought mattered most to voters this election, and some of their responses might surprise you.

Pre-polling has already seen hundreds of voters skip the queue but for those still undecided in the federal electorate of Flynn, here are your candidates’ answers to the exact same questions which could swing your vote.

It comes as The Observer attended Gladstone’s pre-polling booth to get an early sense of which issues were front of mind for voters in this year’s federal election.

Each candidate was first asked which three issues they thought mattered most to Flynn voters, and here’s what they said.

Update from pre-polling booth in electorate of #FLYNN - I’ve spoken to a number of voters giving an early indication of which way the election might swing. It’s part of a bigger push from #newscorp to have regional journos at more than 80 pre-polling sites today #NewsPrepollpic.twitter.com/kiWQSeKAwh

— Nilsson Jones (@nilssonjones_) May 9, 2022

Independent, Duncan Scott: Education and job opportunities, climate change and its impact on cost of living, overbearing government.

Independent Candidate for the Seat of Flynn Duncan Scott. Picture: Luka Kauzlaric

The Australian Greens, Paul Bambrick: Climate change, healthcare, cost of living (esp. housing).

Great Australia Party, Carla Svendsen: Community services, infrastructure, job security (esp. vaccine mandates).

Australian Labor Party, Matt Burnett: Cost of living, secure work, health.

Labor candidate for Flynn, Matt Burnett. Picture: Supplied

Pauline Hanson‘s One Nation, Sharon Lohse: Cost of living (esp. power prices), water security, regional and rural jobs.

Liberal National Party, Colin Boyce: Economic security, energy security and national security.

Colin Boyce at his electoral office in the federal electorate of Flynn. Supplied: Brad Hunter (Deputy PM’s office)

United Australia Party, Tanya Wieden: Cost of living, government overreach, real representation in parliament.

After asking each candidate which issues they believed mattered most to Flynn voters we asked them all to respond to the same list of questions, and they were all generous in providing lengthy, in-depth replies.

Here’s the list of our questions below, you can see their full response by clicking in the links to each candidate above their picture.

Questions to Flynn candidates:

• How will you address and seek to resolve the increased pressure of cost of living?
• Should people in Flynn put independents and minor parties above the major parties, and why?
  
• How will you make house prices and rent more affordable, increase public housing and reduce the number of homeless residents?
• Do you support the Mt Morgan water pipeline project and do you support the rehabilitation of the Mt Morgan Mine by Heritage Minerals?
• Do you support Gladstone being reinstated as a “Distribution Priority Area” for doctors and what other commitments will you make to health services in Flynn?
• Do you support net zero emissions and do you endorse the shift to hydrogen and other renewable industries emerging in Gladstone?
• Do you support traditional industries in Flynn such as coal and gas?
• Will you lobby for upgrades to the Gladstone Hospital?
• Has Scott Morrison handled this term as Prime Minister well and do you think Anthony Albanese would be a better Prime Minister going forward?What makes Flynn different to other electorates?