NSW Election 2019: Former principal Dib is the man to beat in Lakemba

Former school principal Jihad Dib is the man to beat again for the safe Labor seat of Lakemba.

Lakemba MP Jihad Dib. Picture: Robert Pozo

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FORMER school principal Jihad Dib is the man to beat again for the safe Labor seat of Lakemba.

Mr Dib won the 2015 election with 57 per cent of the primary vote, with Liberal’s Rashid Bhuiyan getting 20.7 per cent. Labor has held the seat since 1927.

Mr Dib, the Opposition spokesman for education, said he is keen to reduce overcrowding and overdevelopment, improve public transport while reducing the cost of living.

Opposition spokesman for education Jihad Dib. Picture: AAP

Mr Bhuiyan is running again and says he has first hand knowledge of the transition to a new community and the challenges it brings.

We asked all Bankstown candidates to send information about themselves and their policies. Here are the interesting comments from those who responded.

ELECTORATE: Lakemba

NAME: Jihad Dib

PARTY: Labor

A BIT ABOUT YOU: Married, father of three. Passionate about my local community and committed to achieving fairness and social justice. Loves sport and experiencing the great food cultures of the local area.

YOUR POLITICAL BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE: Early and long career as a teacher. Former Principal of Punchbowl Boys’ High School — credited with its dramatic transformation. Shadow Minister for Education since 2016. Seeking second term as the Member for Lakemba.

TOP THREE PRIORITIES/ISSUES IN YOUR ELECTORATE: Reducing overcrowding and overdevelopment; Improved public transport including access to train stations like Punchbowl; Reducing Cost-of-Living pressures.

NAME: Omar Najjar

PARTY: Keep Sydney Open

Omar Najjar the Keep Sydney Open candidate.

A BIT ABOUT YOU: I am curious and love ideas. What I loves even more is executing those ideas. I was born and raised in Punchbowl to Lebanese/Syrian parents. I love Paul Keating, human behavioural economics, technology and maker movement.

YOUR POLITICAL BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE:

My genius colleague and I are the co-founders of InnovationDrive.co which helps turn ideas for inventions into marketable products. The Steve Wozniaks to your Steve Jobs.

I am also the tech lead at another startup.

I am interested in creating an idea meritocracy where the best ideas win and where ideas are experimented/tested to most effectively solve problems. Not just assuming something will work or won’t but PROVING it.

I volunteered in fact for the Labor Party, but found there are some REAL issues that the majors can’t addressed. That’s where our party Keep Sydney Open Comes in. Also If you vote for me, my preferences go to Jihad Dib. I’m all about being open and transparent.

What’s bad about me? I am brutally honest. People sometimes feel disrespected but I believe in thoughtful disagreement where people can disagree and both have valid points.

I’m pretty awful at selling myself.

I have a tendency to get carried away with novelty.

The Greens candidate for Lakemba Emmet de Bhaldraithe

NAME: Emmet de Bhaldraithe

PARTY: The Greens

A BIT ABOUT MYSELF: I’m a full time retail worker, community activist and lifelong resident of Lakemba. I’m a proud product of the public education system having started at the local pre-school Koorana, attended McCallum’s Hill Public and went on to graduate from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Political Economic and Social Sciences in 2015.

At university I was involved in campaigns against Australia’s treatment of refugees, solidarity actions for Palestine and anti-racism rallies.

At a local level I have been dedicated to local campaigns against dodgy developer approvals, forced council amalgamations and the private Metro project which is set to create on-going disruptions for five years through the centre of the electorate.

This was a campaign I took to the major parties when I stood for Roselands Ward in the 2017 Local Government Election.

YOUR POLITICAL BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE: I majored in Government and International Relations with Minors in Political Economy and History for my Bachelors.

I ran for the Greens in the Local Government elections of 2017 for the geographically similar Roselands Ward in the newly-amalgamated Canterbury-Bankstown Council.

TOP THREE PRIORITIES/ISSUES IN YOUR ELECTORATE:

Save the T3 Bankstown line — No to five years of disruptions and busses to provide a lower capacity, majority standing Metro. Sending a strong message to the State LNP that our public transport is not for sale.

Affordable housing for All – Increase social housing stock through re-zoning targets and ending no grounds evictions

100 per cent renewable energy by 2030 — Establish PowerNSW a public generator, distributor and retailer which will not only provide the jobs of the future but put downward pressure on NSW skyrocketing electricity prices.

TOP THREE PRIORITIES/ISSUES IN YOUR ELECTORATE: Ending corruption and restoring integrity and honesty in policy making; Ending the police state (excessive harassment): Keeping Sydney Multicultural and welcoming; 24/7 public transport

The electorate of Lakemba includes Chullora, Greenacre, Mount Lewis, Punchbowl, Wiley Park and parts of Bankstown, Belmore, Beverly Hills, Narwee, Riverwood and Roselands.

Rashid Bhuiyan, the Liberal candidate for Lakemba

LIST OF CANDIDATES:

Jihad Dib (sitting member, Labor); Omar Najjar (Keep Sydney Open); Emmet de Bhaldraithe (The Greens); Karl Schubert (CDP- Fred Nile Party); Rashid Bhuiyan (Liberal); Dorlene Abou Haidar (Animal Justice Party).

TO FIND OUT WHERE TO VOTE, GO TO: bit.ly/2Clgfln