Bartels considers campaign
Mortgage broker Adrian Bartels has been endorsed as the Liberal Party’s Sydney candidate for the 2011 state election.
The 33 year-old Kings Cross resident owns his own business, Bartels Property Finance, and is the chairman of the Potts Point Partnership.
A member of the Liberal Party since 2003 Mr Bartels says he joined the party because he believes society is better when individuals are able to contribute in a way they see fit.
“Over the next couple of months I’ll be going out and listening to people and hearing what they consider to be important. I don’t want to ride in and tell people what I think should be done,” he said.
Mr Bartels said Sydney needs to have a voice in government.
“It [Sydney] does need a seat at the table. It needs a representative that is willing to listen to peoples’ views and advocate on behalf of them,” he said.
One issue he considers to be crucial is the management of inner city late night trading.
Unlike Independent Clover Moore he does not believe closing entertainment precincts at midnight is a solution to curb drunken violence and noise control.
“If everything shuts at midnight, you’ll see an increase in police corruption, you’ll see illegal raves popping up in warehouses and you’ll see a lot more house parties.
“The problem needs to be managed and imposing a curfew on people is not the best solution,” he said.
Recent polls show public opposition to a curfew for inner city entertainment precincts.
Mr Bartels said that with support for the Labor Party in NSW slipping to an all time low peoples’ confidence will have to be renewed.
“I think when you have been in there [government] for that long, you become less about grassroots and less about people and become more about process and your position,” he said.
“Government needs to be accountable. It needs to be transparent.”
By Sophie Cousins
