Election 2022: Page candidates answer quickfire questions on tax, housing, wages, electric vehicles

Before you vote for the next member for Page, we asked the candidates some quickfire policy questions that might swing your vote.

The polls are tightening in the seat of Page as the countdown to election day enters its final hours.

Polling booths on the big day have been announced and our candidates vying for the seat have nailed their colours to the mast on the issues that matter to you.

The seat is poised to be a nailbiter with the Nationals holding it by 9.5 per cent.

Page could also be an electorate that determines who wins the election with a history of picking a member from the party that forms government.

Sitting member Kevin Hogan, Labor’s Patrick Deegan, the Green’s Kashmir Miller and independent Hanabeth Luke have answered our quickfire questions on tax, housing, renewable energy and wages.

Here’s what they said.

Kevin Hogan - Nationals

Q: Do you support the legislated stage three tax cuts that worth $184 billion over the next 10 years?

Tax cuts are wage increases. I absolutely support our legislation. This is about allowing people to keep more of what they earn.

Q: How will you support the uptake of household renewable energy and electric vehicles?

Australia has the world’s highest uptake of rooftop solar, with one in four homes with rooftop solar panels.

This is because we have invested record amounts into solar rebates. $1.6 billion has been invested on this in the past 12 months alone.

In 2013, when we came to office renewables contributed 13.7 per cent of electricity in the National Marker, this has grown to over 22 per cent.

Q: Do you support superannuation being used to help Australians purchase a property?

Yes. Superannuation can be used to purchase investment properties, so we should be offering the same opportunities for first home buyers.

Q: How do you plan to fix the Northern Rivers housing crisis?

We need to increase housing supply. The most important level of Government when talking about this is Local Government. The North Lismore Plateau has been on the books for nearly 20 years.

It has the potential to provide up to 1500 new homes for families in our community. We need to keep approving developments like this.

Q: Do you support a minimum-wage increase in line with inflation (5.1%)?

I do support an increase in the minimum wage. I look forward to the Fair Work Commission making their recommendation.

Patrick Deegan - Labor

Federal candidate for Page Patrick Deegan Picture Cath Piltz.

Q: Do you support the legislated stage three tax cuts that worth $184 billion over the next 10 years?

Yes. The stage three tax cuts have already been legislated and Labor support them.

Q: How will you support the uptake of household renewable energy and electric vehicles?

Labor’s Powering Australia strategy will see 85 solar banks and 400 community batteries rolled out around Australia to ensure more household can benefit from rooftop solar.

Labor will make electric vehicles cheaper with an electric car discount and Australia’s first National Electric Vehicle Strategy.

Q: Do you support superannuation being used to help Australians purchase a property?

No. Scott Morrison’s plan to raid superannuation accounts will deprive people of their retirement income while driving property prices higher. Is is economically reckless, and will only make the problem of housing affordability even worse.

Q: How do you plan to fix the Northern Rivers housing crisis?

A federal Labor Government would prioritise the construction of new social housing residences in Northern NSW. Our region already had a huge shortage of affordable housing before the floods. But now the housing situation is a crisis.

Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness Jason Clare has announced a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund to build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years. Northern NSW will be the first region to benefit from this program. If Labor is elected, Jason Clare will work with local community housing providers to expedite new housing in our region to get people into new homes as quickly as possible.

Q: Do you support a minimum-wage increase in line with inflation (5.1%)?

Yes. Everything is going up except people’s wages. An increase to the minimum wage of around five per cent would equate to just one dollar an hour. It would be a modest increase, but is desperately needed by many people in Northern NSW who are struggling to make ends meet.

Hanabeth Luke - Independent

Page candidate Hanabeth Luke, independent. Picture Cath Piltz

Q: Do you support the legislated stage three tax cuts that worth $184 billion over the next 10 years?

The stage 3 tax cuts make no sense in this economic climate. Implemented by Morrison as treasurer in 2018, why are we cutting taxes for the richest 10% of Australians at a time of record debt? Why was this government planning tax cuts four years in advance?

I have heard the incumbent boast about how well the economy is doing. I must question this and ask, who is doing well in this ‘booming’ economy? Because the vast majority are struggling here in Page.

Q: How will you support the uptake of household renewable energy and electric vehicles?

Incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles will make them more affordable. It would be cheaper to pay off an electric SUV than pay for a diesel in my ute currently. Significant infrastructure investment is required to upgrade the grid to enable charging of EV’s at scale. I support Zali Steggall’s climate Bill to support legislation for a swift and sensible transition towards net zero.

Q: Do you support superannuation being used to help Australians purchase a property?

I am concerned this is robbing Peter to pay Paul, peter being the retirement income of young Australians.

Q: How do you plan to fix the Northern Rivers housing crisis?

We need a national housing strategy to develop a range of solutions to this huge issue nationally and locally.

(We need) a billion dollar investment in reparation and new builds for social and affordable housing in the Northern Rivers flood affected communities, taken from the National Emergency Response Fund.

A full consideration of options that may include villages of tiny/ modular homes for young people, similar to over 55 villages we see commonly.

Rent to buy schemes should be considered, and also a tax deductible mortgage repayment for young first home buyers.

I support a review of negative gearing for multiple houses. I can see how this supports someone or a couple to have a retirement income, but this should be limited to one investment property.

Q: Do you support a minimum-wage increase in line with inflation (5.1%)?

This is fair to me for a liveable future for the poorest workers of Page, thought it may require additional support for some small businesses who may already be struggling.

Kashmir Miller - Greens

Q: Do you support the legislated stage three tax cuts that worth $184 billion over the next 10 years?

This third stage will cost Australian taxpayers $184 billion over the next 10 years. The Australia Institute has crunched the numbers and shown “that the top ten per cent of income earners get over half the benefit”.

Q: How will you support the uptake of household renewable energy and electric vehicles?

The Greens are proposing a suite of mechanisms to apply until 2022 which will kickstart the transition including introducing strong light vehicle emissions standards.

It’s critical that Australia catches up with the rest of the world and implements a stringent standard for light vehicle emissions, to drive down transport pollution and propel manufacturers to bring cleaner cars to our market.

The Greens propose a 105g CO2/2km standard by 2022, with a three year phase in from 2020-2222. We don’t believe the rationale exists to delay implementation of this measure until 2025 when the supply chains and vehicles already exist to meet this standard and only need to be redirected to Australian markets.

Q: Do you support superannuation being used to help Australians purchase a property?

No. the plan will only yphone superannuation money belonging to lower paid workers into the superannuation funds of richer investors.

Q: How do you plan to fix the Northern Rivers housing crisis?

Right now, property prices are surging to record highs. A generation of renters have been locked out of home ownership, unable to save enough for a deposit, while continuing to face rising rents.

Decades of governments have rigged the private housing market with tax breaks that favour big developers and rich property speculators. Our current housing system is worsening inequality.

Homelessness is on the rise, and today people face decade-long waits for access to affordable housing.

Q: Do you support a minimum-wage increase in line with inflation (5.1%)?

We must remember that wage rates are set by the Fair Work Commission and that should not be politically interfered with. However Government can work to set the direction of the economy. Wages should always be able to increase in real terms if government takes responsibility for setting the environment.