Wentworth 2018: Your guide to Sam Gunning’s policies
THE Wentworth by-election is on this Saturday with a large field of candidates. Our complete guide is the only place to get in depth coverage of local and national policies of all 16 candidates. Here is everything you need to know about Liberal Democrat’s Sam Gunning and how he compares to other candidates.
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THE Wentworth by-election is on this Saturday with a large field of candidates. Our complete guide is the only place to get in depth coverage of local and national policies of all 16 candidates. Here is everything you need to know about Liberal Democrat’s Sam Gunning and how he compares to other candidates.
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BIOGRAPHY
Sam Gunning, 24-year-old Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Sydney, said he was was born in Sydney, and was elected as North Sydney Council’s youngest ever Councillor in September of last year.
Outside of council, he says he has worked in a range of industries from managing a hotel in Sydney, and more recently as a legal intern, both at a law firm and in an in-house capacity with the aspiration to begin practising himself by the end of next year.
Sam said his formal qualifications are from the University of Sydney, completing a Bachelor of Political, Economic, and Social Sciences majoring in Political science.
He says his commitment to classical liberal ideas and love of federal politics began with his deep engagement in student politics at the University of Sydney.
Sam says he now also has formative experience in government as an elected councillor for the last year.
He says he will seek to channel his experience and passion for libertarianism into achieving truly liberal outcomes for the people of Wentworth by prosecuting the principles of classical liberalism which the major parties have too often neglected.
Indeed, since his election as a Liberal Democrat Councillor, Sam says he has, wherever possible, promoted a back-to-basics approach to government with his main aims to reduce council rates for his constituents, and to reduce red-tape on small business in the area.
He says he seeks to take these ideas that have made him successful as a councillor into the federal Parliament on behalf of the people of Wentworth and will promote the same initiatives that David Leyonhjelm has successfully championed during his time in the Senate.
Q&A
1. Do you think we need a new public secondary school in the Wentworth electorate?
The Liberal Democrats believes in the progressive withdrawal of governments from the provision of education supplanted by the introduction of an education voucher system, with vouchers transferable between any accredited public or private school.
2. What are your thoughts on the current rate of development?
The rate of development should always reflect community standards and DA’s that fall within the development approvals regimen should be allowed, with particular importance on the community consultation process. I’ve adopted this approach in North Sydney Council and the DA process has been a success during my term.
3. Do you support the proposed development in the national park at South Head?
No. As above, there has been an outcry by the community against the development of South Head and concerns that it doesn’t meet the standards of the development approvals regimen.
4. Should we make changes to negative gearing?
No.
5. What are the key elements of your tax policy?
The Liberal Democrats believe that the tax burden on Australian families and businesses should be as low as possible.
We support the a gradual approach to tax reform with the gold standard being a income tax free threshold up to $40,000 a year, with a 20 per cent flat income tax, abolishing payroll tax, and reducing company tax to 20 per cent.
6. Do you have a stance on corporate political donations?
The Liberal Democrats believe that a free and open donation system is crucial to the democratic process.
7. What is the most important health related issue?
The Liberal Democrats have championed the legalisation of nicotine vamping, and medical marijuana, as well as campaigning for voluntary assisted dying.
8. What support should be given to businesses?
Removal of unnecessary red-tape and taxes including payroll tax for example, among others.
9. What emphasis should be placed on funding to the arts?
Limited, if any, arts funding is not the government’s role.
10. How should Australia proceed with regards to immigration?
The system needs an overhaul. Our approach to immigration includes but is not limited to introducing Free Immigration Agreements (FIA) for select countries for unrestricted movement of citizens between those countries, replacing the current points-based quota system with a tariff system where immigrants pay for the right to become permanent residents in Australia, and restricting eligibility to welfare for immigrants where reciprocal arrangements have been established through a FIA.
11. Should we change how we process asylum seekers?
Yes. They should be processed in a more humane manner than the current process.
The Liberal Democrats believe in treating asylum seekers as new migrants under the policy above.
12. What action should be taken with regard to climate change?
A rational, evidence-based approach which recognises the problem, but which doesn’t lead to energy policies which increase energy prices and hurt Australian families with a standard of emissions reduction that the largest contributors to the problem in the world don’t even subscribe to.
13. Do you support live animal export?
Yes. Restriction on live animal exports hurt Australian farmers.
14. Do you think we need to tackle law and order differently?
Yes. Particularly in moving towards a Portugal model with regard to non-violent drug offenders among other things.
15. How should we continue to move towards reconciliation with indigenous people?
Australia is a diverse and successful multicultural society, but part of that success is in having an integrated society, and a treaty or constitutional change as a means of reconciliation would have an adverse effect on social cohesion in Australia.
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