Federal Election 2019: Dobell candidates address local issues
Federal Dobell candidates have been put under the spotlight with the election just over a week away. Here’s how they answered 6 questions about key local issues.
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Fast rail, palliative care and youth unemployment are among the local issues we have put to Dobell candidates leading up to next week’s federal election.
The Express asked them six questions about key local issues. Here’s how they answered.
Aaron Harpley-Carr: United Australia Party
1. Do you support a fast rail service linking the Central Coast to Sydney?
Absolutely. This should be a priority for every party in this election.
2. How would you improve access to tertiary education or vocational training?
Improve and Invest in new Facilities, Increase Staffing levels and Lower Costs. Education and Training should be affordable and accessible for everyone. “An investment in knowledge, always pays the highest interest”.
3. Whether to provide for a palliative care hospice on the Central Coast?
Yes, the United Australia Party is committed to providing a service such as this to the Central Coast. Especially given our growing and ageing population.
4. Permitting seismic testing in the pursuit of natural gas exploration off the coast of the Central Coast?
No!
5. How to remedy the coast’s high levels of youth unemployment?
The United Australia Party is committed to restarting Australia’s Manufacturing sector, the best way to do this is to foster, train and support the youth and unemployed. A trilateral approach will be taken with incentives from Local, State and Federal Governments.
6. How to remedy the rates of domestic violence, which are the highest in NSW?
Educate, Support and Police: Educate effectively from the get-go that Domestic Violence is not acceptable under any circumstance, Support Groups within the community which include refuges and police those who have reports against them with adequate deterents.
Jilly Pilon: Liberal
1. Do you support a fast rail service linking the Central Coast to Sydney?
The Coalition Government is co-funding a business case being conducted by the NSW Government to explore options for upgrading the trail line between Sydney and Newcastle with the aim of reducing travel time from three hours to two hours.
The business case is investigating straightening the tracks and infrastructure including track deviations and realignments. The report is expected to be delivered in the next few months.
2. How would you improve access to tertiary education or vocational training?
The Morrison Government has invested $525 million into increased skills funding creating up to 80,000 new apprentices and $50 million to create 10 new industry training hubs. One of these hubs, will be located right here on the Central Coast at Gosford. The region selected for the training hubs will also be eligible for the Commonwealth Scholarships program which supports young people entering the VET sector. Successful candidates will be eligible for up to $17,500 in funding.
3. Whether to provide for a palliative care hospice on the Central Coast?
I support providing top quality palliative care on the Central Coast, but we also need to work with the Central Coast Local Health District which believed there was a greater need for palliative care nurses rather than a hospice. The proposed hospice at Woy Woy will be of little use to people who live in the Dobell electorate - particularly those who live at the northern end in suburbs like Blue Haven, Gorokan and Toukley. I was pleased to see the NSW Government’s funding plans announced earlier this year which will see eight additional palliative care nurses here on the Central Coast to ensure patients can access the care they need.
4. Permitting seismic testing in the pursuit of natural gas exploration off the coast of the Central Coast?
Australia has one of the most robust regulatory regimes for offshore oil and gas in the world. National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) Australia’s independent, expert regulator has stringent assessment processes. No petroleum activity, including seismic surveys, can occur without a valid petroleum title and an Environment Plan accepted by NOPSEMA.
Oil and gas activities in Commonwealth waters, including extensive seismic activity and large scale production in offshore Victoria and Western Australia, have been effectively regulated for many decades. Exploration for oil and gas in offshore New South Wales including the collection of extensive geophysical data has occurred safely for over 30 years. As a Councillor, I have not supported this proposal and if elected I will continue to have discussions with the Department and the Minister for Resources on this important issue.
5. How to remedy the coast’s high levels of youth unemployment?
The Coalition Government is committed to creating more and better opportunities for young people to secure a job. In 2017-18 more than 100,000 young people got a job, the largest amount in Australia’s history. With our investment of $525 million into increased skill funding, we will be able to build on our record and create more jobs and the right skills for the next generation. Anything we can do as a Government to address youth unemployment is good news for our young Coasties.
6. How to remedy the rates of domestic violence, which are the highest in NSW?
The Morrison Government is determined to keep women and children on the Central Coast safe at home, safe on our streets and safe online. Since 2013, we have invested $840 million on programs that directly support women and children who are victims of, or at risk of, domestic, family and sexual violence. With this investment we are: improving frontline services like 1800RESPECT; improving the legal system; ensuring better, safer use of technology; and driving cultural change. We have introduced reforms to the family law system to stop domestic violence victims being cross-examined by perpetrators.
We are investing $78 million to build or buy new emergency shelters for families affected by domestic violence and to fund programs that keep women and children safe in their homes. We have introduced a new minimum standard of 5 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave.To tackle online abuse, we have expanded the role of the e-Safety Commissioner. This office now also takes responsibility for online safety issues affecting adults, including victims of image-based abuse.
Since 2013, we have also granted over 7,046 visas to vulnerable women and children through the Women at Risk program, which specifically helps women targeted because of their gender. And we have also introduced a new directive to prevent the entry to Australia of people convicted of violent crimes against women or children, regardless of the nation in which the offence occurred or the sentence that was handed down.
Scott Rickard: The Greens
1. Do you support a fast rail service linking the Central Coast to Sydney?
Absolutely. Fast reliable rail services open opportunities, allow commuters to spend more time with their family and are a practical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2. How would you improve access to tertiary education or vocational training?
University and TAFE education should be free.
3. Whether to provide for a palliative care hospice on the Central Coast?
Yes. As a student paramedic I understand the important of local community based health care - including palliative care.
4. Permitting seismic testing in the pursuit of natural gas exploration off the coast of the Central Coast?
I am deeply concerned by the threat to marine life. Voting Green is the strongest way to say no to seismic testing.
5. How to remedy the coast’s high levels of youth unemployment?
Investing in renewable energy will create local jobs. Coal and gas threaten tourism and agriculture.
6. How to remedy the rates of domestic violence, which are the highest in NSW?
Dramatic increase in funding and resources for legal services, shelters and support services.
Emma McBride: AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY
1. Do you support a fast rail service linking the Central Coast to Sydney?
The development of high speed rail from Melbourne all the way to Brisbane will be
on a Labor Government’s transport and infrastructure agenda and is something I support as the Member for Dobell. Over 30,000 Central Coast residents commute to Sydney and Newcastle every day, so a high speed rail corridor with stops on the Central Coast would definitely improve quality of life for those workers.
2. How would you improve access to tertiary education or vocational training?
Labor will invest an extra $174 million to support more people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend University. 200,000 more Australians will get access to a university education thanks to Labor’s plan to abolish the Liberal cap on student places. Labor will set up an Inquiry within its first 100 days which will examine every aspect of the vocational and higher education systems.
3. Whether to provide for a palliative care hospice on the Central Coast?
I was delighted to share the news that a Labor Government will build a palliative care
hospice on the Coast. The Central Coast is one of the biggest regions in Australia that does not have a standalone palliative care unit.
4. Permitting seismic testing in the pursuit of natural gas exploration off the coast of the Central Coast?
I have been briefed by NOPSEMA about PEP11 and I am aware that there are
currently no applications before NOPSEMA for additional seismic testing off the
Coast. Since April 25, new rules mean the community must be consulted as part of
any application for more testing or exploration under PEP11 and I would encourage
the community to participate actively in that consultation process.
5. How to remedy the coast’s high levels of youth unemployment?
Access to education and training is critically important in fighting our youth unemployment. Labor will rebuild TAFE, including a $2 million investment in Wyong TAFE to ensure our young people have access to training in areas where we know there is local demand for jobs. Labor will boost local jobs by ensuring more government contracts and major projects are delivered by local businesses. Labor will scrap upfront fees for 100,000 TAFE students who choose to learn the skills that Australia needs. Labor will establish an independent Australian Skills Authority to advise on skills shortages and we will prioritise training investment in skills shortage areas identified by the Authority.
6. How to remedy the rates of domestic violence, which are the highest in NSW?
Labor will provide practical support to help those who have experienced family violence with around 20,000 Flexible Support Packages over four years. Labor will reverse Liberal cuts to a program which helps women remain safely in their own home, and commit to a new 10 year plan for reducing violence against women and their children. We will provide 10 days paid family violence leave and introduce an annual Prime Minister’s statement to parliament on gender equality and prevention of violence against women.
Gregory Stephenson: Independent
1. Do you support a fast rail service linking the Central Coast to Sydney?
Yes one of my policies is a new dedicated stand alone public transport line from Newcastle to Sydney most of it underground with at both ends a loop under the two airports. The governments gives seed money to do the engineering and the project is owned and built by private money.
2. How would you improve access to tertiary education or vocational training?
I have said on a number of occasions public schools = public money. Rich private schools = private money. With the money saved we can off set the cost of pre-school tafe and uni cost to Australians.
3. Whether to provide for a palliative care hospice on the Central Coast?
Yes I believe we need at least two palliative hospice’s on the central coast. One on the top end and one in the south end. We also need at least two big drug/alcohol rehab hospitals.
4. Permitting seismic testing in the pursuit of natural gas exploration off the coast of the Central Coast?
Australia is the largest exporter of gas in the world ,yet we are not making much money from our gas. Before we sell more we need to make much more money. I would not want to see more drilling or exploration in our area.
5. How to remedy the coast’s high levels of youth unemployment?
I am a great believer in education and apprenticeships. We need to encourage the trades and businesses to employ more youth. I would be prepared to hold a Central Coast summit to put several government departments and local businesses together to work out how to do it.
6. How to remedy the rates of domestic violence, which are the highest in NSW?
I have been married for 34 years during that time we have had some real big arguments. My wife has hit me a number of times. We need to consider it takes two to tango, to make a baby, to have a successful relationship. We need to consider neither male or female are in the wrong or in the right. We must both work to eliminate domestic violence not just one sex.
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