Candidates for Wright Electorate

Candidates for Wright Electorate

Eight candidates will contest the seat of Wright on 18th May 2019.

The Australian Electoral Commission said with a record enrolment rate of 96.8% it is important that all Australians enrolled now think about how and when they will cast their vote.

“We have the most complete electoral roll since federation and we’re providing a broad range of voting services but it is up to enrolled Australians to turnout to make sure they have their say,” Mr Rogers said.

Go to www.aec.gov.au to find the location and opening times for early voting centres or call the AEC on 13 23 26.

Candidates for Wright were invited to provide information about themselves and their policies to The Canungra Times.

LNP - Scott Buchholz

As someone who has always lived in regional towns, run my own small business and raised a family, I know that a strong economy is central to everything.

It’s not just about jobs, taxes and the bottom line – it’s about people. A strong

economy means guaranteeing funding for schools and hospitals, providing a strong Medicare system and a social safety net for those in need.

A strong economy means we can keep Australians safe and secure with a strong border protection program. It means we can invest in better roads and transport systems in the regions. A strong economy creates the opportunity for everyone to get ahead.

Because we all know from personal experience that you can’t just keep on racking up debt. And we all understand that you can’t pay for the essentials if you can’t manage money. That’s why a strong economy is so important for the future, especially for our young people.

I’m proud to be part of a team that has the runs on the board when it comes to economic management – delivering the first surplus in 12 years. But I’m also passionate about fighting for the things we need locally and making sure our local communities share in the benefits.

I’ve help secure extra funding to fix roads, repair bridges, support local community and sporting groups, and invest in our local schools, hospitals and defence force. But there’s more to be done.

That’s why the choice at this election is crucial. It’s a choice between Scott Morrison and a strong economy where people can get ahead or the risky tax and spend policies of Bill Shorten. I will stand against the $387 billion in new taxes that Bill Shorten and Labor are planning which will hit local households and small businesses hard.

United AustraliaParty - David Wright

David sees a great opportunity to breathe fresh air into politics. He thinks that with United Australia Party now standing in all 151 seats across the country, it has the numbers to make substantial improvement for the first, and possibly only time in Australia’s political history. He sees the key features of the campaign:

• Stop the sell-off of our land and key infrastructure/assets to foreign powers and interests.

• Change how provisional tax is paid to free up substantial cash flow for businesses.

• Significantly Increase the Pension for Australians who have done their bit.

• Make electricity prices considerably cheaper, for all.

• Make home loans tax deductible.

• What Australia grows, grows Australia – support local farmers always, not just in times of hardship. David is a well-entrenched local, for

17 years enjoying the unique advantages of a semi-rural lifestyle with his wife and teenage son on a small alpaca farm.

David is a local south east Queensland business man with a background in the Film and Television industry.

Extensive management of marketing and advertising content for several state and federal political campaigns made him realise that they really need some fresh solutions at the top end of politics.

Having employed up to 25 staff at a time, he understands the stress of small and medium business and the constant challenges it presents. He feels the current system is a significant imposition on businesses and families, and needs an overhaul. We need to protect Australia from within and from without. Stop the great Australian selloff.

“We want an Australia for our kids and grandkids, and we will work with determination to protect it. We will protect and defend Australia, for all Australians,’’ he said.

Queensland Greens - Shannon Girard

Shannon Girard was raised in Goondiwindi and moved to Brisbane fifteen years ago to pursue a marketing career for a large agricultural corporation.

He holds a masters degree in marketing and works as marketing manager in the transportation industry. He and his partner live in Tamborine Mountain.

“We love the sense of community, and the passion people have for our beautiful landscapes,” Shannon said.

“From Logan to the Gold Coast, from the Scenic Rim to the Lockyer Valley, our green spaces are our joint asset and our responsibility – let’s protect them for the generations that come after us by tackling climate change and putting in place laws that hinder the destructive activities of big developers.”

Shannon said that he decided to run for Wright because he feels the major parties

have failed to tackle the community’s rising cost of living concerns such as health and education, housing, electricity, childcare and the lack of local job opportunities.

“The people of Wright have been taken for granted for far too long. We need universal health care that includes dental and mental health, fair funding for schools, affordable housing and childcare, and a renewable revolution that will reduce our energy bills and create the jobs of the future. It’s time that politicians put people and our natural environment before profits and short-term political gain.”

Australian Labor Party - Pam McCreadie*

Pam McCreadie, Labor’s candidate for Wright, has lived locally for over 14 years and knows there is no better place to have raised her two kids.

Pam’s commitment to her local community is well known. She is highly active in many community groups including as an Assistant Instructor and Treasurer of the Jimboomba & Districts Cadets, and a former President of the Jimboomba State School P&C.

Pam is passionate about restoring the funding to our local education and health services, cut by the LNP Government.

Pam and the united Labor team are focused on securing the best possible future for the hard-working people of Wright.

Pam McCreadie has the experience and local understanding to get that job done for Wright. *This information was taken from the Labor party web site as requests for information were unanswered.

Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party - Rod Smith

Long time One Nation member Rod Smith is now running for Fraser Anning’s Conservative National Party in Wright.

Married for 35 years with four adult children and self-employed tradie for 30 years, Rod was the One Nation candidate and representative in the area from 2015 until this year.

Rod is aiming for the injection of funding into local infrastructure such as the overloaded Mt Lindesay Hwy and for a passenger rail, stronger border protection, nurturing of local businesses and industries such as farming including dairy and a vegetable canning facility, tourism and giving locals hope for a better future after years of major party neglect.

After campaigning and holding regular supporter’s meetings throughout the large electorate over recent years, Rod identified despair and depression as major issues. Lack of secure employment, lack of essential services such as transport, education, entertainment/recreation, no Centrelink and a growing sense of people being alienated from the decision-making process leave people powerless and angry. Examples of this include the marketing of the Inland Rail project to skeptical locals, vegetation laws that make private property into private national parks, the rank growth of red tape and regulation, the crushing tax/rate burden and inappropriate residential development.

Independent - Innes Larkin

Innes Larkin says as a professional mountain guide he spends his days encouraging people in one of the toughest physical challenges of their lifetime.

“Standing as an independent will be one of the biggest mountains I have ever climbed, but it is one step at a time, and a million steps to go.”

Innes has a reputation for being a leader in difficult situations that make the average person shy away.

His business acumen comes from running an Ecotourism Business, Mt Barney Lodge, for the last 18 years, and this business recently won the Scenic Rim Business Awards in Tourism, Accommodation and Hospitality.

Innes has made representations to parliament many times, including a parliamentary enquiry. He is experienced and comfortable with media having gained these skills in the course of being in the tourism industry for 18 years. Public speaking is one of his strengths. He has a reputation of speaking out and speaking up on community issues when it is needed.

Innes is comfortable in the political landscape, he has formulated guiding principles to navigate his way through issues, will not shy away from what needs to be done, and is here to help.

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) - Matthew Tomlinson

Katter’s Australian Party candidate Matthew Tomlinson has juggled working as a stockman and campaigning in, what he says, is the most important election in two decades to decide Australia’s future.

A born and bred Beaudesert local, Matt believes he has the knowledge to represent the electorate of Wright in the ways the residents deserve, and promises to deliver on agricultural, industrial and environmental issues facing the region. With a background heavily influenced by farming, Matthew wants a fairer system for primary producers to continue to deliver their products while profiting from their hard work and innovation.

With the urban sprawl encroaching on Wright’s scenic doorstep, Matthew wants to ensure that spread doesn’t encroach on prime agricultural land, or on the heavily biodiverse environment the region offers. He says “the ‘Green-tape’ approach that is currently in place to protect the natural wonders of the region by locking up the National Parks has developed a cesspool of weeds, feral pests, and under-utilised tourism dollars, while being a death trap in the risk of bushfires to anyone living alongside the wilderness.

He envisions the creation a public land management system that will protect the most endangered areas while creating jobs, tourism, a safe environment for families, tied in with our rich indigenous heritage.

Matthew believes the future of industry in the region should be one that is conscious of the impacts on residents, infrastructure and the environment. Job creation and infrastructure should be paramount to any further developments applications, to avoid socio-economic dead zones, as residents around the electorate of Wright are accustomed to the rewarding lifestyle this unique region offers.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Chris O’Callaghan*

*Requests for information about this candidate were unanswered and there was no information available on the One Nation web site.