AD-
LIB SUMMER ISSUE 2014
SUMMER ISSUE 2014
LIB
AD-
AD-LIB is the quarterly publication of the south Australian young liberal movement.
Contents Editor:
Rhys Williams
Assistant Editor: Courtney Stephens
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From the editor / save the date
Upcoming events on the Young Liberal calendar.
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From the President
Report from the SAYLM President, Alexander Hyde.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, Assistant Editor, or the South Australian Young Liberal Movement. Contributions to this edition of ADLIB are from members and friends of the SAYLM.
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Q&A with the new state mps
Three new members of the Marshall team answered our questions about their new roles.
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Why do you dig peppa pig?
by Robert Katsambis.
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Small schools are limiting opportunities
by Courtney Nourse.
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Thou shalt not tan!
To contribute to the next issue of ADLIB or to contact the Editor, email adlib@sayoungliberals.com.
by Ben Newell.
Authorised by Mr Alexander Hyde, President, SAYLM. 104 Greenhill Road, Unley, 5061.
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Published 24/10/2014
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Davenport / YL Council / Howard Signing
Exciting highlights of the last quarter.
SAYLM WINE TOUR
See the highlights of our McLaren Vale Wine Tour. Image: Port Noarlunga totems Les Haines (Source: Flickr)
From the Editor
other Young Liberal members while also showcasing our activities and opinions to the Senior Party. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you (if you haven’t already) to follow us on Twitter at @sayoungliberals and to like the ‘South Australian Young Liberal Movement’ page on Facebook - both of which will help you stay in touch with the SAYLM between reading our magazine.
In this Summer Issue of AD-LIB we continue our Q&A with the new members of the SA Liberal Parliamentary Team with interviews of Corey Thank you for taking a moment to read the South Wingard MP, Troy Bell MP and Vincent Tarzia Australian Young Liberal Movement’s quarterly MP. magazine, AD-LIB. We also have some great articles by Young While reading our last issue of AD-LIB (Spring Liberals in this issue. Robert Katsambis picks away Issue, 2014) you may have noticed the publication at the arguments made by Liberal supporters against has undergone a refresh. I am proud to say it has been the privatisation of the ABC, Courtney Nourse well received by both members of the Young Liberals speaks of the benefits of bigger schools in rural areas, and the wider party. especially during those final years of high school and Ben Newell explains why we should stand up for It is my aim - in order to maintain consistent freedom... and solariums! release of the publication - that we will continue to have AD-LIB printed and distributed at times which If you would like to get in touch with me about coincide with meetings of SA Liberal Party State writing for or featuring in the next issue of AD-LIB, Council. please email me at adlib@sayoungliberals.com. I hope the improvements made to AD-LIB during my time as Editor will solidify the role the publication plays in broadcasting the activities of the SAYLM to
Rhys Williams SAYLM Communications Director
SAVE THE DATE! *
WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
SAYLM Executive meeting + Policy @ The Pub
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Tuesday 2 December
SAYLM Executive meeting
*
Friday 5 December
State Council Meeting
*
Sunday 7 December
YL Council + Christmas BBQ/Drinks
*
Friday 23 - Sunday 25 Jan
YL Federal Convention - Melbourne
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From The President
The context of the by-elections is welcomed with open arms, as it puts the other activities of the Movement in to perspective. Recently, the Young Liberal Executive appointed Jack Newton as our Fundraising Director. Jack will be working closely with myself and the staff at Secretariat investigate new and innovative avenues for raising funds.
Funds raised will assist in the building of our brand and name identification, as well as minor merchandising and the operation of ambitious and With the impending by-elections in Fisher and effective campaign activities. Davenport the Young Liberal Movement is gearing As an organisation that engages youth with policy up for a busy campaign season ahead. We are also aware of the Victorian state election and, resources and campaigning, we also incorporate a healthy social and time permitting, the Movement would seek to aspect into our events. send some good campaigners there to help in the fight Recently, the Movement hosted a wine tour to against Labor. McLaren Vale and it was good to see a broad cross Administrative frameworks are already being section of the Movement attend and enjoy the finer developed so as to manage the Young Liberals’ things that the region has to offer. involvement in the coming campaigns and members Politics always throws up different challenges are invited to contact the Administration Director and things are never dull. This is especially so for about how to get involved with these initiatives. those who have taken up the mantle of running for Our Campaign Director will be meeting with local government elections. officials from Secretariat and the relevant branches to With the ballots now posted out, I would like to discuss where our resources will be most effective. From there our campaign committee will meet to congratulate those Young Liberals who ran on the excellent campaigns they developed. Taking on this begin the coordination of our efforts. task independent of a political party, while balancing The Movement is pleased to see one of our great other commitments, is a great achievement. supporters, Sam Duluk, preselected for the seat of I wish them luck in the coming counting of the Davenport and we look forward to working with him votes. Despite being outside of the party’s umbrella, closely in that seat’s campaign. it is always great to see liberally minded friends Likewise, with the candidate for Fisher yet to be achieving in the community. preselected, I am confident that whoever wins, our Alexander Hyde party’s youth will get behind that person with the beaming enthusiasm and dedication that we have seen SAYLM President demonstrated in our previous campaign efforts.
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Q&A with the new MPs We asked COREY WINGARD MP, TROY BELL MP and VINCENT TARZIA MP how they’re finding their new roles in parliament.
Why did you run for pre-selection? Wingard: I saw the direction the state was headed under this Labor Weatherill Government and I complained to some people about it and they told me to do something about it so I did. Bell: I was keen to return the Electorate of Mount Gambier back to a Liberal seat after a 17 year run of Independent Members. I felt that having grown up in the region and now raising my three children here I had the drive and passion to make a real difference. Tarzia: After serving our local community as a Councillor of the city of NPSP, I believed I could better serve our community in the State Parliament by helping to get South Australia moving again.
WHAT was the highlight of the election campaign for you? Wingard: Winning. Setting a plan and executing it with a great team helping. Bell: The night of the election would be my highlight. After many long months campaigning for the seat of Mount Gambier and then to be successful was definitely humbling. I am truly grateful that the electors of Mount Gambier had the confidence to vote for me. After a very tense election day it was fantastic that over 200 of my family, friends and supporters joined me at an after party. I am truly thankful to everyone who supported me on this long
Corey Wingard MP conducting a listening post at a local shopping centre in Mitchell.
journey and feel honoured to be representing these people and the rest of my community at a State level. Tarzia: Walking into the Arkaba on the night of the election with the people that had stood side by side me during the campaign, knowing that the efforts of our tireless team had paid off, we had won Hartley and unseated a sitting Minister.
What was your election lowlight? Wingard: Having people drive past in their cars and yell out abuse. I was very keen to speak with them and find out what they were doing for their community. I fear the answer was nothing! Bell: I am sure that most candidates would agree that a low light would be the financial worries
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Our new members of parliament at Brougham Place Uniting Church, attending a service to mark the opening of the parliamentary year.
of running a campaign. Even though I received enormous support from people within the electorate by attending fundraisers and making donations I was constantly concerned that I wasn’t able to satisfy advertising and marketing commitments and sometimes with the uncertainty of not knowing where we were going to raise the funds from. Tarzia: I didn’t have any low moments. It was an exhilarating experience.
How did you feel on the morning of your first day in parliament? Wingard: Proud and excited. Bell: It was all very surreal, to look around the Parliament chamber and be in the company of some of South Australia’s most credible and influential people was a very special moment. Tarzia: It was surreal. I remember sitting on the green benches in the House of Assembly. My heart was beating intensely. Once I saw the Premier and our leader take their seats, it really sunk in! One
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of the best days of my life, and a proud moment for family and supporters, especially having lost a grandfather during the campaign.
What main point would you like people to remember from your first speech in parliament? Wingard: I hope my speech reaffirmed that I’m a people person. South Australian people are the key to turning our state around. Bell: The main point that I would like people to remember is that I am truly grateful to all of the people who supported me in achieving my goal of winning the seat of Mount Gambier. My family is my strength and I hope that I conveyed my absolute gratitude for their support during the campaign and of course into the future. To everyone who contributed in any way, small or large, I am truly grateful. Tarzia: For the benefit of the state, I aim to be a breath of fresh air, a long term thinker and make our community the best it can be.
What has surprised you the most since entering parliament? Wingard: As a journalist I find it surprising how the Government avoid answering questions. Bell: I was quite surprised at the disparity of funding between the opposition and the Government in respect of the number of staffing/media/advisors etc. available to the government in comparison to the opposition. Tarzia: How little or much one can do in the Parliament.
What policy areas are you looking forward to making
Vincent Tarzia MP at the Vaisakhi Mela, Punjabi Aussie Association with the Hon. Jing Lee MLC in Magill.
Bell: I would like to make a contribution to regional
the largest contribution to in the state liberal team? development – our country regions contribute Wingard: As the Shadow Transport and Road Safety Minister I want to help improve the state in these areas. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into an (incomplete) train network. We need to get the best return possible for that spend. Road Safety is also important and given the events of recent weeks, smart effective solutions need to be found.
significantly to the state and we need to see it continue to grow and prosper. It is imperative that there are incentives available to attract new businesses / industries to our regional areas and that there is also ongoing support for existing businesses / industries. We need to ensure that our regions grow and not become stagnate. The second policy area I would like to contribute to is Education. Firstly, our youth are the future of the state. We need to ensure that they are receiving the best possible education available and that best practices are implemented to ensure that this occurs. Everyone is entitled to some form of education be it young or old and we need to make it accessible for everyone whether they live in the City of Adelaide or in regional areas. Tarzia: Whatever is best for the team.
What do you hope to achieve for your electorate? Wingard: Coincidently Mitchell has a key Transport Troy Bell MP supporting South Australian fishermen outside Parliament House.
Infrastructure grade separation project as a major issue. The Labor Government has ignored this issue
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for years. They have spent more than a million dollars on a plan that has now been mothballed. We need to find a new solution, road over or under rail is shaping as the best solution. The government need to move on an answer. People are also calling out for more opportunities. They don’t want hand outs, they want opportunities to work and advance their careers. As a government, we must create sustainable opportunities for South Australians. Bell: During my time as Member for Mount Gambier I would hope to achieve increased employment opportunities for all demographics and to also investigate and hopefully achieve population growth within the electorate. The youth in our area are leaving and not returning due to lack of opportunities. I would like to investigate what can be done to retain the youth in our region and how to support them. Tarzia: There are many areas, however, some include upgrading the Magill Rd/Glynburn Rd intersection, Paradise Interchange, better funding for sport and community clubs, contributing to the upgraded Campbelltown Leisure Centre, managing traffic issues around the area, keeping the community consulted with planning changes and ensuring that we reduce the cost base of doing business in the area and state.
In your opinion, what role do you see the SAYLM having in the state liberal party? Wingard: SAYLM have an importance on so many levels but one I’m interested in is there ability to support the Parliamentary team on Social media. Sharing members messages and ideas in this space is easy to do and extremely helpful. Bell: The Young Liberals provide a fresh and
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Troy Bell MP helping out at McDonalds for McHappy Day, where $2 from every big mac sold went to Ronald McDonald House.
energetic outlook. You represent a very important cohort in our society and decisions/policies made now will have a profound impact on the lives of the next generation. Tarzia: The Young Liberals should be the training ground for future candidates, and the training ground for future campaign contributors.
We would like to thank Corey Wingard MP, Troy Bell MP and Vincent Tarzia MP for their time. We also interviewed the Hon. Andrew McLachlan CSC MLC, Stephan Knoll MP and David Speirs MP for the last issue of AD-LIB. If you would like to read about their experiences you can view the last issue of AD-LIB (Summer Issue, 2014) online at issuu.com/sayoungliberals.
Why do you dig Peppa Pig? Addressing your CONCERNS ON PRIVATISATION ROBERT KATSAMBIS A FEW WEEKS AGO, the Young Liberals debated a motion to call upon the Federal Coalition to privatise the ABC and SBS. I have always thought of the Young Liberals as being more open to embracing controversial ideas than the senior party given the enthusiasm, and to some extent, the audaciousness of young people.
The issue is not that we don’t have private broadcasters, but that they don’t provide services that are demanded.
I often make the point that we have three major free-to-air television networks with multiple channels as well as a myriad of pay TV stations. Why then, do we need two government networks when there is plenty of private competition in the On this basis, I anticipated that if the motion was marketplace? not passed, it would only be defeated narrowly. I was When I ask this question, defenders of public therefore surprised to see it defeated convincingly, broadcasting on the Right claim that the private with only a few hands raised in favour. networks don’t broadcast certain programs that many We all know the reasons advanced in favour of people want to see. They claim that this is evidence privatising the nation’s public broadcasting arms. that the market is failing, and that government Although I could talk about the economic benefits intervention is justified. of having more competition and less government However, this claim falls down because it in the market, or even the ideological reasons for incorrectly defines the market. It takes a general privatisation, this would not contribute much more market for visual productions, and limits the analysis to the debate. of that market to what is shown on one medium, that Rather, the aim of this article is to focus on is, television. some of the main concerns expressed by people on That is literally like someone saying that the the Right regarding the privatisation of the ABC market for motorcycles doesn’t properly satisfy and SBS in an attempt to persuade members and consumer demand because it doesn’t produce supporters of the Liberal Party who feel as though automobiles. It is an absurd statement to make having a public broadcaster is an exception to a because you have defined the market incorrectly. It general rule that government’s role in providing ignores the fact that automobiles are produced and services should be restricted to fulfilling insatiable supplied elsewhere. demands. We seem to have this old habit where we think I will now address these concerns.
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that the market for visual productions fails by virtue of the fact that we restrict our analysis to TV because it was, for a long time, the only supplier of those productions. But in reality, the shows and programs that people demand are provided by other means, which are discussed below.
allow HBO fans to view those programs free of charge. What rational basis exists to justify forcing me for paying for shows that you like, but not the other way around, which would still allow you to be categorised as someone on the Right?
My response, quite simply, is that one of the main reasons we joined the Liberal Party is because we think people should have to pay for things that they like so that people who don’t derive any value from those things are not forced to pay for them.
The entire proceedings of Parliament are documented in Hansard, which is a publicly available resource. With a click of the mouse you can go onto the Parliament’s website and access this. In fact, you can actually view the entire proceedings of the two chambers live on the website.
I guess my question is, from a Liberal Some people like Doctor Who. perspective, with so many shows that commercial television won’t provide, what is to say that one The question was put to me why should someone should be provided by the government over the be precluded by market forces from watching Doctor other? What is to distinguish Doctor Who from other Who simply because Channel 7 doesn’t think it is shows to warrant that it be broadcast at the expense profitable to show? of the taxpayer while others are not? The answer is, even if it couldn’t generate a We need the ABC in order to have a transparent democratic profit, nothing would stop you from watching it if process. there was no public broadcaster. You can go onto the internet and download it for a price. Alternatively, I find this argument deeply flawed for two you could purchase it from Big W or rent it from reasons. Blockbuster. The market does not fail merely First, there are so many other readily available because one particular medium of communication mediums that provide for the accountability of might not supply the program. Parliament and its dissemination to the public that But then, I am told, we would have to pay for it. are much more effective than the ABC.
Moreover, why Doctor Who? There are literally thousands of other programs (and dare I say it many Public broadcasters give rise to a massive of them more popular than Doctor Who) that aren’t duplication of services when it comes to provided by the commercial networks, but also aren’t broadcasting our democratic process. It shows the provided by the ABC. same political news as every other commercial television station, radio station, newspaper, online Someone could equally use the argument that news provider, blog, journal and magazine. Channel 7 doesn’t show Game of Thrones or The Sopranos, so therefore the funds coercively exacted Its presenters and journalists report the from the people of Australia should be diverted to same thing as commercial news presenters, print
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journalists, radio show hosts, online reporters, interviewees, politicians, commentators and bloggers. On this basis I seriously question the assertion that political discussion in Australia would fall to pieces if the 7.30 Report and Q&A were to abruptly come to an end. Second, the ABC’s coverage of Parliament can hardly be said to be comprehensive; it usually only shows Question Time. It only broadcasts the part of Parliament most preoccupied with points of order, irrelevant waffling to avoid answering questions and political games and tactics. Why would we need to
give this more airtime than it would otherwise get on commercial television? Even still, only that small percentage of people that are free between the hours of 1:30 and 3 in the afternoon can actually watch it on the ABC. However, if you missed Question Time because you were too busy in the middle of business hours, you can catch the replay from midnight onwards. Moreover, its coverage of Parliament ignores much of the debate on Bills and committee proceedings. It reduces the entire process of government to a few hours each sitting day (roughly a third of the year) and then claims that it is providing transparency in the government. Why even have it when its coverage of governmental matters is grossly insufficient and already provided far more effectively by the private sector?
The ABC provides in depth analysis that the commercial sector doesn’t. This is essentially a claim made by those on the Left to justify the ABC’s Left-wing bias. However people on the Right take up this claim very quickly
without looking at why it is used by the Left. The fact that Left-wing journalists and commentators couldn’t otherwise get air time without the government paying them tax payers’ money to spruik a political opinion and then try and hide this by calling it something like ‘comprehensive, high-quality journalism and current affairs around-the-clock’ in my opinion does not justify having a public broadcaster. I didn’t want this article to turn into a lamentation of Left-wing bias in the ABC, but people on the Right who rely on this justification should look at the Left’s motives for manufacturing it. The SBS brings minorities and migrants news and current affairs in their own languages. Quite simply, news in languages other than English are already provided for on the internet in much greater depth than what is offered by our public broadcaster. SBS allocates half an hour of news each day to certain ethnic communities. They could all access news in their own languages online and get more than their half hour’s worth. This would also remove the problem of requiring a bunch of bureaucrats in an office in Canberra to decide which communities should be allocated air time in the limited space available for foreign language news.
Also, it is simply inconvenient. How many people are going to watch Greek News at 10:30 am when most people are working or probably studying? Newspapers, but more relevant today, the internet, solved this problem a long time ago by ensuring that if you don’t tune in at a certain time of the day, you won’t miss what happened. Why can’t we just defer to the internet? Why do we need to make sure the
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government provides this in a more inconvenient way than other sources which are actually doing so at a profit? But some people don’t know how to use the internet and therefore wouldn’t just be able to switch from the ABC and SBS to view content online.
these broadcasters to broadcast government-run telecasts to assist people facing emergencies in regional areas would be a small price to pay in order to save lives and re-allocate taxpayer funds within its $1.22 billion budget.
This is especially easier nowadays where free-toair commercial operators run at least three different Learn how to use the internet! Life is a constant stations (eg Network Ten broadcasts over channels learning process. Technology advances and makes it Ten, One and Eleven.) That way, there is more easier for people to do things. This is pointless if you choice for broadcasters to decide which station they won’t embrace it, complain about it, and then expect will broadcast their emergency telecast. They would the government to pay for it. not have to cut their most profitable or core services, But some people don’t have internet or a computer. having a wide choice of what they could get rid of for that relatively short time. Some people don’t have a TV. Same argument. That doesn’t mean that we have taxpayer-funded, Of course, I would suggest that these government employees knocking on peoples door broadcasters be compensated for any costs and lost every day to shove a TV in their face just because revenue. we want them to know what happened on The Conclusion Bachelor the night before (or at least to give them that opportunity). By addressing these concerns, I hope I have been able to convince people in the Liberal Party, The internet is a luxury, not a necessity. and persons generally in the Right, that although it Television is a luxury, not a necessity. Government might seem there are compelling reasons to have should not be in the business of providing luxuries, public television broadcasters, notwithstanding how business should. That’s why this is the Liberal Party. their existence offends free-market principles, these You won’t die if you don’t get to see what happened reasons are not convincing. on Insiders. Buy a newspaper. It doesn’t cost that much. I intend further down the track to bring this up again at Young Liberal Council with the intention of The ABC plays an essential role in communicating information proposing a motion at State Council. about emergencies to regional communities. This is the only criticism of privatisation advanced by people on the Right that I give any Robert Katsambis is the President of the Adelaide merit to. It is an essential role of government that it University Liberal Club and a member of the SA assist people placed in positions of danger because of Young Liberal Executive. natural disasters such as bush fires or floods. A simple Commonwealth law which requires
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Small Schools are Limiting Opportunities
Courtney Nourse Just weeks out from the beginning of semester two in June this year, Riverton and District High School (RDHS) could not guarantee any subjects my sister Georgia would be studying. Frustrated with the lack of certainty and curriculum options, Mum, Dad and Georgia made the decision that she would move in with me so she could complete her schooling at Nuriootpa High School in the Barossa. There were other factors which influenced the decision too. Georgia is an enthusiastic student and a Dux of her year level, but this year her attitude towards school was changing. She lost the enthusiasm, her curriculum options were limited or they were not guaranteed and all the teachers were continually asking her, ‘what career do you want?’ ‘What degree do you want to do?’
Five years ago, I completed my schooling at RDHS with around 20 students in my year level. During my time, we were awarded Viticulture School of the Year in 2005 & 2007, received multiple prizes at the Royal Adelaide Show and won Le Cordon Bleu in 2007. The curriculum had always been somewhat limited – as can be expected when it’s a small school in the country. I was happy enough with my year 12 subjects and studied Legal Studies via the Open Access College in years 11 and 12. In my year level at least half went on to university and received a TER above 80. However, over the past few years the demographics have been changing and the ATAR results have been decreasing.
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At the start of Year 10 last year there were 36 students in Georgia’s year level. At the start of Year 11 there were 29 and now there are 22. Yes, seven students have left since the beginning of Year 11 this year, three of those, including my sister, left at the end of semester one to attend another school. Of those 22, 3 have apprenticeships and at least six are rarely at school. In 2013, 181 students were enrolled at RDHS; there are now 200 students just in Georgia’s year level at Nuriootpa! RDHS is located just under 100km north of the Adelaide CBD. Gawler, Kapunda, Balaklava and
Clare are all around 30 minutes away. Five primary schools feed into the school: Hamley Bridge, Tarlee, Riverton, Saddleworth and Manoora. For quite some time a large number of people in Saddleworth and Manoora have been sending their children to Faith Lutheran College in the Barossa, around 50 minutes away. More recently, Riverton and Tarlee parents have been sending their children to Faith also. People have also started to send their children to Trinity College and Xavier College in Gawler and Horizon Christian School in Balaklava. Many students also head to boarding school in Adelaide after Year 9 or 10. Georgia has already selected her subjects for Year 12 next year: Psychology, Business and Enterprise, Food & Hospitality, English Studies and Child Studies. She could not do ANY of these at RDHS, not a single one! She is able to undertake subjects that open her career options, she can work out what she likes and what she’s good at through a varied, not limited curriculum. The policy we took to the last State Election was to identify three existing high schools which could
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offer an entrepreneurial curriculum, creating three dedicated special entry entrepreneur high schools. Although I agree with the principle behind this policy, I do not agree with the execution. Whilst this policy would benefit students in the city, it will not benefit students in the country.
“We are narrowing the skill set and career options of our next generation in the country.” At the heart of the problem of failing to equip
our next generation with the skills they need to start and run a business are the curriculum options. If students are not exposed to a variety of subject options, how will they choose a career in this sector or gain the skills? We are narrowing the skill set and career options of our next generation in the country. There are a number of subjects which could be altered slightly to include an entrepreneurial component, such as Business and Enterprise. I know Georgia is enjoying Business and Enterprise so much she’s actually decided to study it in Year 12.
“We need to investigate the sustainability of a number of regional schools” From what I’ve seen, if I had undertaken this subject it would’ve been very helpful during my business topics at university – perhaps I would remember more too! Ultimately, we do not need entrepreneurial schools to equip our next generation
at Year 10, then feeding into a centralised school. For example, in the lower north and Clare Valley, RDHS could go to Year 10 and students could go to Balaklava, Clare or Gawler. Indeed, the possibility of RDHS finishing has recently been discussed amongst the Governing Council. I believe this could work on the Yorke Peninsula where for example, Ardrossan Area School has 23 students across years 11 and 12 and is 20 minutes from Maitland Area School or for those more north-west of Ardrossan, Moonta Area School or Kadina Memorial School. The notion is to create a critical mass to broaden the curriculum. This would then pave the way for another State Election policy where Year 7 would be transitioned into high school, creating a number of Year 7-10 high schools. This would be similar to the system in Tasmania where high school is Year 7-10 and college is from 11-12. In Victoria, a number of schools in large regional towns also have this set up, such as Mildura and Bendigo.
Courtney Nourse at RDHS, the high school she graduated from five years ago.
with the skills they need to start and run a business; we need to make an entrepreneurial subject more widely available. I would propose that we need to investigate the sustainability of a number of regional schools and the possibility of having selected schools stop
I know how important schools are to a community. However, is it really worth keeping these schools going to Year 12 if they are limiting our next generation? Is your local community truly better off? This is a discussion we need to have.
Courtney Nourse is a member of the SAYLM and the State Policy Committee. If you would like to contact her on any policy matters please email courtneynourse@gmail.com
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Thou shalt not tan!
The South Australian Ban on Solariums Ben Newell Ronald Reagan once said “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. Reagan was only half joking. The SAYLM moved a policy at the 2014 SA Liberal Party’s AGM that ‘the SA government reverse the impending solarium ban due to come into force on 1 January 2015.’ Firstly as someone who has never used a tanning bed...Or been able to tan, I write this article on principle, rather than from personal experience. This ban will hurt small business people the most (also known as Liberal heartland) who have invested thousands of dollars in tanning beds and salons to provide a service for adult members of the public. Tanning operators also employ many South Australians and contribute to paying the taxes of this state and this nation. Samantha, a small business woman who will be affected by a similar ban proposed in WA said she will lose her business, her livelihood and her income. Samantha also has a family, a mortgage and a lease on her business. I strongly doubt that
Samantha is the only solarium owner in this sorry predicament. Those familiar with the story of John Howard will know that his family garage was ruined when the government came in one day and removed their petrol pumps to install traffic lights without any compensation. On a tragic note, Howard’s father, Lyall died the same day his business did in 1955. The South Australian Labor Government has
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been true to form on this issue and mismanaged it from the beginning. The government has refused to pay compensation to business owners or to implement a buy-back scheme of tanning beds which means small business owners will be even more out of pocket and a backyard black market will certainly emerge. WA Liberal MP Peter Abetz (who is the older brother of Senator Eric Abetz) said “if a person buys a business that’s a perfectly legal business and then we as a government change the rules, then I believe, in fairness to that person, we need to make sure we don’t put them into financial ruin”. Solarium operators today are compliant with the rules and regulations imposed to reduce the risk of melanoma. These include banning minors, providing glasses, banning very pale skinned, red headed or freckled individuals (aka type 1 fair skin tone) and limiting the amount of time a person can spend in a tanning bed. I believe today’s well regulated and responsible solarium operators are better than underground backyard black market operators. Too many people in this debate confuse giving people choice with giving people cancer. No one wants anyone to have cancer, but at the same time, no true Liberal would want to ban people from exercising their freedom to live their life as they choose so long as it is not harming anyone else. An analogy is that no Liberal would support banning McDonalds or KFC because there is an undeniable
link with eating fatty foods and obesity. It is not the role of government to tell people how to live their lives. As John Stuart Mill, the 19th century classical liberal, wrote in his book On Liberty about what he calls the ‘harm principle. Mill said: “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others”. If someone wants to drink too much, eat too much, gamble too much, get too many piercings or tattoos, gamble away all their money in a casino or even give away all their money to charity, they should be free to do so in our society because our government should never try to legislate morality. If Labor was serious and consistent about preventing cancer it would ban all tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods that are linked to cancer. But who would want to live in such a society? I suggest to you that only ‘sandal-wearing, muesli-chewing, bike-riding, cotton wool loving nanny staters would like to live in such a ‘paradise’! What is the difference between getting melanoma from a tanning bed and getting it from the sun? The sun has killed far more people from skin
cancer than tanning beds ever will. In fact, statistics show that more than ten times as many Australians die from tobacco smoking each year as opposed to skin cancer and no one is proposing to ban cigarettes (outside of Tasmania). By banning solariums those people who wish to have a natural tan will just spend more time in the sun still getting melanoma, this ban will make not one jot of difference to skin cancer rates in the community. There are also a few benefits of tanning beds for people with Rickets, vitamin D deficiencies and even depression. While I do not think tanning in a solarium is a wise lifestyle choice, I also believe gambling and drinking in excess are also unwise, however adults should be free to live their own life how they please so long as they are not harming others. Respect for small business owners, personal responsibility and individual freedom are fundamental Liberal values which should not easily be surrendered.
Ben Newell is a State Council delegate and is an active Liberal Student at the University of Adelaide.
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DAVENPORT PRE-SELECTION
YOUNG LIBERAL COUNCIL
The Young Liberal Movement Executive congratulates former Young Liberal President Sam Duluk on being pre-selected by the Davenport College to represent them as the Liberal Candidate in the up-coming by-election.
The Hon. Andrew McLachlan CSC MLC kindly gave his time to speak to attendees at Young Liberal Council on Wednesday 1 October at The Edinburgh Hotel. Mr McLachlan spoke about the time he spent in Afghanistan as a member of the Australian Army Reserve.
Our campaign team and the Movement will be actively involved in the upcoming by-election, as well as in the bordering State seat of Fisher. Please get in contact with the Campaign Director Dylan Turner if you would like to give a couple of hours of you time to help win these two crucial by-elections. campaign@sayoungliberals.com
HOWARD BOOK SIGNING According to social media posts, many Young Libs were clearly thrilled to meet the Hon. John Howard OM AC when he came to Adelaide for the signing of his new book, The Menzies Era. We couldn’t possibly fit every snap the Young Libs managed to get with the illustrious former Prime Minister into this issue of AD-LIB, so we have just included one photo with Cr. Brad Vermeer!
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The council was well attended with some animated policy debate following Mr McLachlan’s interesting address to those in attendance. If you would like to submit a policy for debate at Young Liberal Council please get in touch with the Policy Vice-President John-Ross Savvas. policyvp@sayoungliberals.com
WINE TOUR SAYLM Wine tour through McLaren vale
Above and below: Young Liberals at Lloyd Brothers Wine and Olive company
The 2014 Young Liberal Wine Tour kicked off at Tomich Wine Cellar door in Hyde Park on Sunday 22 October. The Hon. Terry Stephens MLC, The Hon. David Ridgway MLC and the always accommodating Randal Tomich poured a few glasses of Tomich Chardonnay Pinot to get the day off to a pleasant start.
ATTENTION YOUNG LIBERALS! Spice up the festive season with 20% off all purchases at Tomich Wines Cellar Door. 87 King William Road, Unley Mention you’re a Young Lib to get this special offer.
We then boarded the party bus and headed to the picturesque McLaren Vale wine region to taste a variety of gourmet food and wine. Thanks to Charlotte Edmunds and her committee for their hard work organising a great social day that was thoroughly enjoyed by all! Courtney Stephens SAYLM State Vice-President
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