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MARCH 1 2013 ISSUE 126
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“I am progressive”
SOLAR BBQ Local residents have held a barbeque celebrating the fact that over 2,700 homes have either solar power or solar hot water systems. 30 residents attended the barbeque on Sunday in Dulwich Hill and hope that even more residents will make the switch to green energy.
Albanese states case for re-election in September VANESSA WATSON
F
ederal Grayndler MP Anthony Albanese sat down with the Weekender last Thursday to discuss the upcoming federal election in September, a second Sydney airport and the issue of Labor’s leadership. Mr Albanese, who has held his seat since 1996, said he would not take the electorate for granted and promised to focus his re-election campaign on the issues that “impact on the nation” and the inner west. “I’ve always been in the progressive wing of the Labor Party. My convictions have been consistent,” Mr Albanese said. He said keeping the economy strong and making sure people have the best possible opportunities in life through education were at the top of his agenda. “The difference between myself and my opponents is that I think the Liberal (Grayndler) candidate stands for what Tony Abbott stands for, which is I think a much narrower Australia, one that doesn’t reflect the values that are held by most residents of the inner west,” Mr Albanese said. “Hall Greenland I think is someone who isn’t engaged in mainstream politics. There’s a difference between being a university undergraduate and being a member of the House of Representatives. It’s very easy to carpet the edges, it’s much more difficult to come up with practical solutions and to make a difference.” He listed measures like the National Disability Insurance Scheme, dealing with the ageing population and aged care services, access and affordability of child care, the issue of wages for child care workers and community workers, cost of living pressures and a second airport for Sydney as other priorities. He said recent data from the Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics highlighted the growing need for a second airport, as on-time commercial fl ight departures from Sydney are shown to be below
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the national average, with 80.5 per cent of fl ights departing on time. “Richmond RAF base could provide a small temporary relief (for Kingsford Smith) but it’s not a big enough site to have the second airport. There’s one runway which could be available for some commercial use,” he said. He said a preliminary scoping study looking into Wilton and Richmond Air Base as potential sites to take pressure off Mascot was due before the polls. “We wanted the full information out there for people to see.” Asked whether Julia Gillard was the best leader for the Labor Party and whether her leadership could be contested again, Mr Albanese said that issue was resolved last February.
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“Kevin Rudd has said that he won’t challenge… She (Gillard) is tough and determined. She also is a good negotiator, given the nature of this parliament, that has been a difficult one to deal with.” On the state issue of WestConnex, Mr Albanese said he did not know whether or not the road would cut through the Marrickville area or involve any compulsory acquisitions of homes. “I’m not going to talk about hypotheticals on hypotheticals. Construction will commence in the next year, it’s a long way off that. They haven’t even done a business case, there’s no route for it. “There’s a lot more detailed planning work to be done, let alone the process of environmental approvals… I can’t have a fi nal position on something that’s not been developed.”
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Weekender journalist Vanessa Watson interviewed senior Federal Minister and Grayndler MP Anthony Albanese at Marrickville’s The Post café last week. Photo: Timothy Hartridge.
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