Capricornia votes 2022: Candidates reveal policies for federal election

Capricornia voters have had their say on the issues that matter to them. Now those who are fighting for your vote have detailed what they will do in Canberra to effect change.

People of Capricornia - Federal election time is here and we want to hear from you.

To hold your candidates to account, we need to know what is most important to you so we can press them on what they will do for you in Canberra.

Take our survey below – it’s quick and easy.

The mammoth seat of Capricornia covers 90,903sq km and takes in Rockhampton and Yeppoon to the south and east, Sarina and the Pioneer Valley in the centre, the Bowen Basin to the west and Collinsville to the north on the border of the Whitsundays.

Though the seat swung heavily towards the Coalition in 2019, it is still considered a relatively marginal seat, so your vote is powerful.

A crowd of candidates are vying for the seat of Capricornia in this year's election.

Remember, Australia has three levels of government: federal, state and local.

Each level has different responsibilities, though some of these overlap with one another.

The federal government is responsible for things such as taxation, defence, immigration, foreign policy, Medicare, welfare payments, pensions, industrial relations and telecommunications.

The state government is responsible for things such as roads, hospitals, schools and police and prisons, and development applications for mining and agriculture.

Local government is responsible for things such as sewerage, town planning and building applications.

The federal government is also involved at the state and local level because it helps to fund services and infrastructure across the board.

If an issue that is important to you is not listed, please write it into the ‘other’ line.

Here it is – we can’t wait to hear from you.

We will explore policies in detail over the coming weeks but first we will compile a list of the issues that matter most to you.

We’ve compiled a short introduction to each of the candidates and the beliefs and life-values that have pushed them into the political arena.

Candidates include Michelle Landry, Russell Robertson, Mick Jones, Kylee Stanton, Nathan Harding and Steve Murphy.

Survey results and candidate responses

The results are in and we’ve asked the candidates to respond to your concerns.

We broke down the key takeaways from each issue and then asked how each would tackle the problem.

Note, only the Greens’ Mick Jones, Labor’s Russell Robertson and incumbent Michelle Landry answered our questions.

One Nation’s Kylee Stanton, the UAP’s Nathan Harding, the Great Australian Party’s Zteven Whitty, the Liberal Democrats’ Steve Murphy, independent Ken Murray and Paula Ganfield from the Informed Medical Options Party all failed to respond.

Here is what Mr Jones, Mr Robertson and Ms Landry said.

Immigration

A majority of readers (30.3 per cent) want immigration levels to remain as they are, with 23 per cent wanting immigration levels to decrease.

A smaller minority responded they wanted increased immigration or offshore detention systems to be shut down.

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens support immigration and recognize that it is part of our prosperity, particularly in the regions.

On the other hand, our current government‘s brutal policies targeting refugees are not only cruel but enormously expensive.

We’re spending billions of dollars keeping fewer than 300 refugees and asylum seekers offshore.

Our government spent millions reopening facilities on Christmas island so they could incarcerate one family from Biloela.

People in Central Queensland have stuff up in support of that family and we should do the same for other families in need as well.

Let’s close the camps, save billions and increase our humanitarian intake of refugees.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Did not respond.

Michelle Landry - LNP

With our international border now reopened, the Coalition government continues to ensure the strong protection of Australia’s borders.

Our effective policies, first enacted by Scott Morrison as immigration minister, include:

- Regional processing

- Temporary Protection Visas (which deny people smugglers a product to sell)

- Boat turn-backs when it is safe to do so.

Each of these policies is necessary, to protect our borders and deny people smugglers a product to sell.

Stopping the boats has enabled the government to close 19 detention centres and remove all children from detention.

The government is now spending a billion dollars less, every year, on onshore detention arrangements than when we came into office.

Net zero

More respondents (38.2 per cent) favoured abandoning a net zero emissions target by 2050,while 31 per cent wanted Capricornia’s leader to support more solar and wind projects across Central Queensland.

Mick Jones - Greens

I wonder how people in Lismore would feel about their lives and livelihoods being made into a political football.

The climate crisis is here and we need real solutions, not media bias and misinformation.

Our communities need a transition plan so workers in coal are not left exposed.

There is no excuse for failing to do this.

The Greens plan will rebuild manufacturing in Australia and boost jobs in minerals processing and mining, adding tens of thousands of jobs.

Included in the plan is a job for job guarantee so coal workers can move on to comparable jobs at existing pay rates, retraining support and a 2.8 billion dollar fund for local communities to develop their own transition plans.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor has a plan which includes $100m to support 10,000 New Energy Apprenticeships, $10m in a New Energy Skills Program to skill workers up for new energy industries and our Rewiring the Nation will invest $20b to modernise Australia’s energy grid.

Michelle Landry - LNP

The Coalition’s plan to get to net zero by 2050 will deliver results through technology, not taxes.

That’s why we’re investing $21bn in this budget into rural and regional Australia to ensure our regions grow and prosper.

We’ve ruled out taxes or a legislated target because these regressive approaches would impose costs on households, businesses and regions least able to afford them.

We’re committed to five-yearly reviews that will enable us to evaluate progress, and adapt to advances in technology.

The Coalition’s plan won’t shut down coal or gas production, or require displacement of productive agricultural land.

National security

Countering China’s influence in the Pacific was the overwhelming concern of respondents (48.3 per cent) in the national security theme.

Another 38.2 per cent supported opening up more trade markets for beef and agricultural exports.

Mick Jones - Greens

We have better things to do than spend $70-120 billion on nuclear submarines, which is the current plan.

Wildly impractical, ineffective for defense, the new Aukus submarine deal will do nothing to make us safer and do a great deal to line the pockets of arms manufacturers.

We need to build up our real manufacturing capacity - that will give us the capacity to stabilise our region, no matter what the future holds.

We don’t benefit from being pushed into a confrontation with one of our biggest trading partners.

Nobody in our region will benefit if the US and China escalate against one another.

Diplomacy and trade, particularly in more processed goods, is our best bet for prosperity and peace in our region.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor’s Defence Industry Development Strategy will maximise the amount of Australian content from the $270bn invested in defence.

Michelle Landry - LNP

To protect Australia’s future security and interests we are undertaking the biggest rebuild of our navy, army and air force since the Second World War.

The Coalition is investing more than $575bn in Australia’s Defence Force over this decade, including $270bn in Australia’s defence capability that will support more than 100,000 jobs.

In 2020, we restored defence investment to 2 per cent of GDP.

Defence spending has now risen above 2 per cent of GDP as we continue to deliver a stable funding path into the future.

This reverses the decline under Labor, when defence funding was gutted by $18bn and fell to 1.56 per cent of GDP – the lowest level since 1938.

Covid

Economic recovery from Covid was the overwhelmingly main concern in this theme, with 41.57 per cent of readers listing it as their concern.

Mick Jones - Greens

All too often during Covid our community has been hit with harsh, punitive measures, instead of support.

Covid is still with us and we need to maintain good standards of health, including free RAT tests, and ensure better rights for all workers (including casual workers).

We will increase funding for mental health services, frontline domestic violence support, income support, protections from eviction and other help for people who have had their lives turned upside down.

But it hasn’t been tough for everyone.

Billionaires more than doubled their wealth during Covid.

By making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share, we can come out of this era with better services, rebuild our underfunded health care system and boost jobs in manufacturing, construction and more.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Did not respond to this issue.

Michelle Landry - LNP

Despite the pandemic, there are 1.9 million more Australians in jobs than when the Coalition came into Government.

JobKeeper saved 700,000 jobs. HomeBuilder helped more than 100,000 Australians into a home.

Taxes are lower for 12 million Australians and 3.6 million small businesses and sole traders.

Australia is one of nine countries to hold a AAA credit rating from the three leading credit agencies.

The Morrison Government’s plan will deliver a stronger economy, with:

- 1.3 million jobs created over the next five years, including 450,000 jobs in Regional Australia.

- More jobs and unemployment below 4 per cent.

- Tax relief for workers and small businesses.

- Better roads, rail, water infrastructure

- Record investment in health and other essential services.

- Stronger defence, borders and security.

Social services

More GP doctors in the regions was the majority response in this theme (34.8 per cent) followed by increasing pensions (23.5 per cent).

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens will raise all pensions and income support above the poverty line, raising the rate to $88 a day and adjusting it over time based on cost of living.

On Health, we will re-invest the billions that currently go to the profits made by big private health insurers, back into the public system.

We will bring dental health and mental health fully into medicare and properly fund our public hospitals.

We will invest $275m in a national preventative health commission, train more health workers with free university and TAFE.

If elected I’ll tackle the GP shortage with policies like the public health GP clinic policy we brought to the state election.

Russell Robertson - ALP

The $10bn Housing Australia Future Fund will build social and affordable housing now and into the future.

In the first five years, it will directly support 21,500 well paid secure jobs and build 20,000 new social housing properties.

Michelle Landry - LNP

The Coalition government is providing $708m to continue the specialist training program to help get more doctors trained in the specialties that country Australia needs.

More than $1.4bn has been invested in this important program since 2010, which supports training positions in regional, rural and remote areas.

The extension of the program will mean 920 full-time equivalent places annually.

The Coalition government is also boosting incentives to attract privately practicing doctors and nurse practitioners to live and work in rural Australia, through the Higher Education Loan Program, formerly HECS.

The Coalition government’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training program provides more than $200m a year to fund a network of rural clinical schools, university departments of rural health, regional training hubs and dental training sites to support extended rural placements in regional and rural areas including here in Capricornia.

Cost of living

Reducing food and petrol costs was the overwhelming concern for readers in this theme (56.1 per cent).

Mick Jones - Greens

Cost of living is about more than food and petrol, but the key to that is energy independence and proper support for our agricultural sector.

Broader cost of living issues - housing, rent, child care, education - also need a bold solution.

The Greens will build one million public and affordable homes to end the housing crisis in our community.

We‘ll make public school, university and TAFE genuinely free again and create a publicly funded child care system.

We’ll raise income support and pensions and make sure workers have better wages and conditions.

We’ll bring down the price of power by building up renewable energy - new solar with storage is already cheaper than new coal and getting cheaper every year.

The old free market approach is crushing everyday people under the cost of profit-taking and that makes it hard for small businesses to thrive as well.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor’s Cheaper Child Care for Working Families will: scrap the $10,560 subsidy cap, lift the maximum child care subsidy to 90 per cent and increase subsidy rates for families earning less than $530,000.

That means more than 5500 families in Capricornia will have cheaper childcare.

Labor’s Powering Australia plan will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year for homes by 2025 compared to today.

Michelle Landry - LNP

The Coalition government is introducing new targeted and responsible cost of living measures to take the pressure off household budgets.

About 59,100 taxpayers in Capricornia will benefit from tax relief of up to $1500 this year, made up of the $1080 low and middle income tax offset and a $420 cost of living tax offset.

Together, with the recent pension increases, this will see the 14,851 pensioners in Capricornia receive more than $500 in additional support over the next six months, when they need it most.

Australians will save 22 cents a litre every time they fill up their car due to cutting the fuel excise in half.

Economic policy

Expanding our domestic manufacturing base was the key concerns in the economic policy theme, with 42.69 per cent of responses.

Mick Jones - Greens

Every year we delay and fall prey to misinformation and media bias on climate change, we are losing opportunities for a massive manufacturing boom.

Renewable energy already employs tens of thousands of people and there is broad public support to move the subsidies that taxpayers currently pay to prop up the coal and gas industry and put that funding towards building renewables instead.

We can support local enterprises to make this switch and bring back jobs that we‘ve lost to overseas.

We can work our iron ore, using green hydrogen, which is already being done in Europe.

We can put our green steel into manufactured goods made right here in Central Queensland.

We can export energy to our region and build ourselves into a manufacturing superpower.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Only Labor has a plan to build a brighter, better and stronger economy, growing the stagnant wages Central Queenslanders have faced for nine years under the Morrison Government.

Michelle Landry - LNP

The Coalition government will transform Australia’s manufacturing sector through the $2.5bn Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

A re-elected Coalition government will create another 1.3 million jobs over the next five years.

We will do this by keeping the economy strong and with a comprehensive plan to skill Australia’s workforce, a plan to keep taxes low for workers and small businesses, a plan to invest in our regions including $7.1bn in transformative infrastructure projects and $2bn to drive growth and productivity through our regional accelerator program, and a plan to transform our manufacturing sector through the modern manufacturing strategy.

Infrastructure

Readers want the Peak Downs Highway upgraded and Inland Rail in Capricornia, followed in third by the Connors River Dam and associated pipelines.

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens support infrastructure spending, but we won’t commit to spending on big projects unless they stack up economically and environmentally.

We saw how badly things can go with the Paradise Dam fiasco down near Bundaberg.

Farmers need real support for their water needs, not dams that most of them can’t access.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor’s centrepiece policy is the Buy Australia Plan. This plan means:

- Federal government projects must be delivered by local businesses, employing local workers and using local materials (where possible).

- Federal government projects must meet a secure jobs standard – delivering well paid, secure local jobs.

- Make sure defence industries and capability are developed in Australia – not overseas.

Michelle Landry - LNP

Since 2013, I’ve fought hard to secure more than $5.7bn in federal funding which has gone into building new infrastructure and strengthening our region.

This includes over $220m for the Peak Downs Highway alone but more needs to be done.

Connecting Inland Rail to Gladstone is a step closer to reality, with the Coalition government committing to undertake a business case into extending the line from Toowoomba to the Port of Gladstone.

First the Coalition government committed $183.6m to Rookwood Weir which when completed will provide 86,000ML of water to agriculture and industry.

Now the Coalition government has locked in $483m to build the Urannah Dam near Collinsville.

 I will continue fighting for Connors River Dam.

The skills shortage

Increased funding for TAFE, skills training and university was considered the most important factor in improving the skills shortage in Capricornia, scoring 40.44 per cent.

Expanding worker, holiday and agricultural visas, by contrast, scored 22.47 per cent.

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens will make Uni and TAFE free again and ensure that public schools are genuinely free as well.

Education should be available for all based on merit, not based on wealth.

We have programs ready to run to better train doctors, teachers and other care workers on key outcomes like mental health, while providing priority housing for essential front line workers.

We’ll ensure better pay and conditions for educators.

Add to that free early childhood education and public child care and we build a system that gives people the freedom to learn and build their skills and put them to use in our community.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor will introduce free TAFE for areas of skills shortage.

That is 465,000 free places made available over four years, including 45,000 new places.

Michelle Landry - LNP

A record 220,000 Australians are now in trade apprenticeships - the highest level since records began in 1963.

In the 2022 budget, we are further supporting Australian apprenticeships by providing $5000 payments to new apprentices.

As well as in training and skills by supporting an additional 800,000 training places for school leavers and job seekers.

A re-elected Coalition government will:

- Ensure Australians have the skills they need through an additional $3.7bn to support 800,000 new training positions.

- Provide $2.8bn in additional incentives to train the next generation of apprentices and trainees.

- We’ve also announced $9m to deliver the Mackay Electric Vehicle and Energy Training Centre which will deliver the jobs of the future.

Industrial relations

Reducing labour regulations and red tape on business was the narrow majority with 32.58 per cent, followed closely by reducing the proportion of casual labour in employment (28.08 per cent).

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens will ensure that all workers have the wages, rights and conditions they are owed for their work, including casual workers.

We will end the insecure work crisis and reform labour laws to protect workers and their right to organise in their workplace.

Small business needs our support directly, not by talking the old political bugbear of red tape, but ensuring that by taking action on the cost of living and properly regulating big business, we give our small businesses the space to grow and a level playing field.

Russell Robertson - ALP

Labor’s Job Security plan will protect gig workers, work to introduce portable leave, ensure labour hire workers earn no less than regularly employed workers.

Labor will also criminalise wage theft.

Michelle Landry - LNP

The Coalition government’s deregulation reforms are expected to generate benefits exceeding $21bn over 10 years - cutting red tape for businesses, individuals and community groups.

We have simplified Business Activity Statements, implemented Single Touch Payroll and will automate ATO reporting requirements - reducing compliance costs, improving processing times and supporting cash flow.

We have made it easier for businesses to employ their first worker with the online Hiring Employees Checklist and Employment Contract Tool that guides employers through a series of questions to generate an employment contract in five minutes.

The Coalition government’s casual employment reforms commenced on March 27, 2021 and mean there is now a definition of casual employee and a statutory rule for courts to offset casual loading amounts against monetary claims.

By introducing a statutory definition of casual worker we have given employers certainty to hire and ensured Australia’s 2.5 million casual employees understand their work arrangements and entitlements at all times.

Casual employees now have more opportunity to convert to permanent employment through the casual conversion entitlement.

This requires employers, except for small business, to offer full-time or part-time employment to eligible casuals unless there are reasonable grounds not to.

Social values

Protecting religious expression and religious freedom was top of the list (28.08 per cent) followed closely by introducing a referendum on constitutional recognition for First Nations people (25.84 per cent).

Mick Jones - Greens

The Greens support right of all people to live without persecution.

Religion is no excuse for subjecting people in our community to unjust treatment, like the recent Citipointe school fiasco in Brisbane.

The Greens support the LGBTIQ people of regional Queensland and we make no compromise on that.

We support freedom of religion, but that does not justify targeting or persecuting people in our community.

Any religious school that does not agree with this is welcome to hand back every cent of their currently very generous taxpayer funding.

It is particularly vital that we ensure all our kids are treated fairly and not subject to bullying, regardless of the excuse that is being used.

We support a treaty for First Nations people and current efforts at constitutional recognition, but that has to go beyond symbolism and ensure drastic improvements in the way First Nations people are treated in our community, our courts and our policies.

Russell Robertson - ALP

We’ll invest in and strengthen Medicare, ensure all Australians get world class healthcare regardless of where they live, provide access to world class care based on their Medicare card and not their credit card.

We will change the Distribution Priority Areas for regional areas – meaning more doctors can be employed in regional areas.

Michelle Landry - LNP

For believers and non-believers alike, religious freedom is an essential pillar of a strong and decent society and is critical to the health of a diverse society such as Australia.

It allows different faiths and beliefs to flourish.

Religious freedom protects the rights of all groups and individuals, including the most vulnerable, whether religious or not.

The Coalition government supports policies that ensure religious freedoms are maintained that are appropriate to our Australian society and individual rights.

 Having a code of conduct is not inherently a religious matter.

 It is an important document for political parties, charities and organisations to outline a clear indication of their rules, values, goals, ethics and vision, providing all within the organisation with a clear outline of expected behaviour.

Trust in politics

Respondents expressed low trust in politics.

59.55 per cent of readers answered ‘no’ to the question:

‘Are you satisfied with the representation you have received in the past 10 years?’

Mick Jones - Greens

Politics is deeply corrupt, with the big parties taking huge donations from corporations and billionaires, who obviously do not give such generous donations for free.

There is a revolving door between lobbying and politics and former politicians gain highly paid roles in the industries they’re supposed to regulate.

The Canberra media plays a role here too - focusing on ‘gotcha’ journalism and failing to report the facts in the public’s interest, preferring to focus on the political horse race.

It’s no wonder people hate bloody politics.

The Greens do not take corporate donations.

We don’t have a billionaire backer, or a throng of veteran political operators.

We fight for the public.

As proof - we have spent over a decade campaigning for an Independent Commission Against Corruption, with strong powers to investigate politicians and hold them to account.

We can clean up politics because we cannot be bought.

Russell Robertson - Labor

Labor will establish a powerful and independent National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Michelle Landry - Nationals

Since 2013, I’ve fought hard to secure more than $5.7bn in federal funding which has gone into building new infrastructure and strengthening our region.

Combined with record investments in aged care, Medicare and schools, the Liberal National Government is getting on with the job of securing Australia’s future.

However, there is more work to do.

 As part of my local plan for our community I’ve been thrilled to announce federal funding and election commitments for a range of major projects which will benefit the region.

Originally published as Capricornia votes 2022: Candidates reveal policies for federal election