Wentworth candidates roundup: read and decide

John August (Secular Party)

The Secular Party sees a growing influence of religion on Australian politics. John Howard met with the Exclusive Brethren while ignoring representations from more progressive Christians such as the Uniting Church, not to mention non-religious Australia.

He made a deal with Harradine to keep abortion out of overseas aid.  The twisted SES system, which sent inequitable Government funding to private religious schools, matured under Howard.

Rudd was little better, taking his own sweet time to correcting the aid laws, not to mention his own religious influence. It is great to see Gillard, an atheist, as PM.  Still, she is unwilling to engage with the injustices around us, including those originating in religious influence.

The Liberal Party did have its positives. Dr John Hewson sent his commendation to the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. Amanda Vanstone supported voluntary euthanasia. Turnbull is good for Wentworth.  Graham Long of the Wayside Chapel, a person I respect, has praised him.

Abbott, the leader of the Liberal Party, has spoken out against abortion and voluntary euthanasia – and would no doubt resist same sex marriage.

While Turnbull would be great for Wentworth in a Liberal opposition, if Abbott were to attain Government by one seat, the cat would truly be amongst the pigeons.

The secular party believes in equality; to deny same-sex marriage denies equality, while the assumption of inheritance and the ability to visit your partner in hospital are tangible privileges denied to same-sex couples.

In Kings Cross, we see its personalities forced out by rising accommodation costs.  The Secular Party recognises this.  Left to themselves investors invest to improve their returns, not make housing more affordable; we recognise both the strengths and weaknesses of the market.

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Malcolm Duncan (Independent)

Wentworth voters, welcome to the (yawn) 2010 Federal Election.

Who am I? Ex-Army; Sydney Barrister; Chairman, Taxation Reform Party (NSW) Inc; President 2011 Residents Association; Community Centre Honorary Counsel etc (for full policies malcolmduncanindependentcandidate.com).

Why stand? Now is the winter of our discontent. No-one else has any policies, let alone sensible/workable ones so try these:

• The Redhead and Big Ears must explain why our brave young troops must die and be maimed for a cause without strategic or tactical importance to us

• Immediate implementation of safe phased withdrawal from Afghanistan

• Phasing out the coal industry replaced by renewables by 2020 (fully self-funding)

• Onshore processing of Asylum seekers to provide labour for renewable infrastructure  (that’s how we built the Snowy Scheme folks)

• Teachers’ scholarships to learn how to teach students to teach themselves whatever their school or resources

• Defence based on trade and aid in the region backed by a viable ready reaction force deployable either in the region or with the UN

• Cutting taxes by building wealth with (shock-horror) a peoples’ bank and insurance company

• Rebuilding our country through infrastructure projects for all

• Re-creating a tolerant society based on a fair go for all (including rural Australia)

• Funding proper dental care for the poor

• Commonwealth tied-grant funding to replace Sydney’s (and particularly Wentworth’s) failed sewerage system

• Legislating civil same-sex ceremonies

• Fencing the Gap

• No cat to be strangled ever again in Wentworth

• Strict knife control laws for politicians

Three things should dominate this election: the future of the country; the economy and liberty – all involve immigration, climate, education and law reform.

Your vote on 21 August is for the rest of our lives. Cast it wisely.

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Steven Lewis (ALP)

This year Wentworth, voters have a clear choice between the two major parties and an opportunity to elect an effective local member who has worked in the community for many years.

I believe the more than $80 million spent so far on new libraries, classrooms and school halls in Wentworth will dramatically improve the quality of our children’s future education – the Liberals have opposed the spending from day one and want to shut down the BER program.

I believe couples in same-sex relationships should be able to marry and have the same economic and legal rights as everyone else – my opponent Malcolm Turnbull does not.

I believe the more than $9 million to be spent on suicide hotspots including new safety and security measures at The Gap is an important initiative that will saves lives – the Liberal Party has dismissed the spending as a stunt.

I believe the money invested in our economy by the Federal Government and spent in local shopping centres like Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, kept us out of recession and got us through the GFC– the Liberals and Malcolm Turnbull think we should have sat on our hands and hoped for the best.

This election Labor is offering Wentworth voters an alternative to a failed Liberal member whose party wants to drag the Nation back to the 1950s with a party that doesn’t believe in climate change and a leader who thinks global warming is ‘crap’; a party that for ten years let Australia’s infrastructure crumble and has no plan to rebuild it, that has no plans for health reform and is not interested in rebuilding our education facilities.

A vote for me will give Wentworth a strong voice in the Gillard government and a representative who can actually make a difference.

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Stuart Neal (Carers Alliance)

Years ago, when I lived in Woolloomooloo and was a member of a moribund ALP local branch, I didn’t give people with disabilities a second thought.

All that happened to me were encounters with third-rate, factional wannabes who courted my vote for no purpose other than their own advancement. I escaped from these sordid battles and went my own way.

Still, I didn’t give people with disabilities a second thought.

A personal tragedy changed me profoundly. I adopted a child from China, Jessie, who was diagnosed with a fatal, degenerative condition which was impossible for my wife and me to handle alone.

We battled the system and the battle very nearly broke us. It became clear the Australia I love presents a façade of compassion but when the crunch comes it hangs you out to dry.

In the end we prevailed with Jessie after years of desperate effort not because of a change in policy but because we embarrassed the bastards too much. This story is told in our book Jessie Mei Mei (Allen and Unwin).

So that’s why I’m a candidate for the Carers Alliance. There are still hundreds of thousands of Australians with intellectual and physical disabilities doing it very tough. They languish in queues or are abandoned completely.

This mess is a ghastly scandal and the neglect of these citizens arguably criminal. I’ve seen it first hand and personally know thousands for whom the battle is yet to be won.

So, what’s this got to do with you, dear reader? We desperately need the introduction of a national disability insurance scheme not just to be humane to those already in dire straits but to protect families such as your own, for disability can strike anyone at anytime.

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Matthew Robertson (The Greens)

Wake up on Sunday 22 August with a new Federal Parliament that needs to consider public services, the environment, public education, sustainable transport and the next generation.  Help make this happen by voting 1 for The Greens.

Matthew Robertson and Lee Rhiannon want to end the poll-driven short-sightedness of the big parties and instead ensure Australia is an environmentally sustainable and a socially just nation.

Greens values emphasise sustainability, equality, social justice and peace.  Our policies cover a complete range of community concerns, from industrial relations, health and education through to forests, water and biodiversity.

We are committed to real action on climate change, fair treatment of refugees and support for marriage equality.

Our polices are developed by our members through democratic processes in which each member has the opportunity to shape the direction of the party.

Unlike Labor and Liberal, The Greens do not accept donations from corporations. This means we are free from the influence of tobacco companies, the mining industry and property developers. We represent real Australians, not special interest groups.

Neither Julia Gillard nor Tony Abbott have a vision for the future. Concerned about political point scoring, they are failing to show leadership on the issues that matter for Australia.

Now more than ever, Australians need a strong voice in the Senate. Vote for the Greens and we’ll take your voice to the parliament and make sure it is heard!

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Pat Sheil (Independent)
You will vote 1 Sheil in Wentworth on August 21. You simply won’t be able to help yourself. The arguments are too compelling.

He is, without question, the Man for the Times.

Pat Sheil was born, educated and marinated in the electorate. He is deeply Wentworthian, and in a sense is the living, breathing embodiment of what Wentworth IS.

Pat has run three times for the seat, with an increasing proportion of the vote. His mantra ‘Sheil Be Right!’ resonates with voters who know that what Wentworth needs is not much at all – it is hard to improve on an earthly paradise – beyond a steady hand. A hand that will stroke and nurture the core values of luxury, contentment and the exploration of leisure that lie at the core of things Wentworthian, without outside interference, stultifying regulation and ideological clap-trap.

We have it all here – why not hold on to it, and make it, slowly but surely, even better? We can go where we like, drink what we want, fornicate, recreate and celebrate. Much of what we take for granted is frowned upon or even illegal in most parts of the world.

But not here. This is Wentworth. OUR Wentworth. YOUR Wentworth.

It is hallowed ground, and it will stay that way if you insist that Sheil Be Right! on August 21.

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Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal)

This election is about two important things: conviction and competence.

Conviction, because after three years of a Labor Government Australians need to know their leaders have a vision.  And competence, because after three years of Labor’s spin, Australians need to know whether the next government will deliver.

On the economy, Australians should expect a Government that can actually return the Budget to surplus and take the pressure off interest rates.  The Coalition did it between 1996 and 2007.  Labor hasn’t run a surplus for 21 years.

My personal commitment to the environment is clear.  The Coalition is the only party with a climate change policy which even has the potential to cut Australia’s C02 emissions by 5 per cent by 2020. Labor is all talk and no action on this issue – Prime Minister Gillard wants to outsource her policy to a 150-person focus group.

In Wentworth, there is concern over population and congestion. I have fought for open spaces like Centennial Park to stay in public hands and for better public transport. These issues are crucial in ensuring dense urban areas like ours remain great places to live.

Labor has failed to act on mental health.  The Coalition will deliver $1.5 billion of new funding for better local mental health services – four times the amount Labor has committed.  This will pay for early intervention services and 60 youth headspace sites. We will also immediately fund the $2.1 million plan for suicide prevention measures at The Gap, which Labor has twice rejected.

Labor’s proposed Internet filter is a white elephant. It will cost a fortune, it won’t work, it will slow down the Internet for all users and, worst of all, it will create a false sense of security for parents. The Coalition has supported parents who want to install cybersecurity software on their children’s computers, and police in their efforts to track down and punish those who use the Internet for child pornography and other illegal activities.

For all these reasons, I am asking for your vote on August 21