YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK

Tonight I will be participating in a “Your Rights At Work” forum with other Grayndler candidates. The forum begins at 6:30pm at Leichhardt Town Hall. This is my first public candidate event and I am looking forward to it.

It would be great to see a few readers there. Feel free to come up and say hello.

TIGERS HELP POUNCE ON RODENT: IT’S ALL A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE

Above – “The Mary St Entrance to Leichhardt Oval” taken by Jeffrey Gabriel.

Labor announced this week that it will commit $3million towards an upgrade of Leichhardt Oval, home of the Balmain Tigers and Wests Tigers. South Sydney Rabbitohs fan Anthony Albanese was at the announcement heralding this as a great win for the people of Grayndler. The truth of the matter lies in who was standing next to Mr Albanese.

Maxine McKew, the Labor candidate for Bennelong was there playing football as well. (The link in the first paragraph takes you to a cracking photo of her trying to pass a ball. Her footwork is all over the shop. She needs to have a few training sessions with the mighty Newtown Jets).

You see, half of the Balmain Tigers junior district lies in Bennelong and this announcement helps support the pastime of hundreds of local families in that area. Maxine was trying to get one up on her campaign rival John Howard, the so called, “rodent,” Prime Minister who has also been making Bennelong specific announcements lately. This is not to say the funding is not welcome. It just needs to be viewed in context. This is all a big game of cat and mouse.

What’s the point? Well this is a Grayndler blog and Leichhardt Oval is in Grayndler. Anthony Albanese may try to use this as an example of the work he does in Grayndler to hide the truth that safe seats get little attention. It is important to highlight that this announcement does the exact opposite. It is a play for a marginal seat outside of Grayndler.

If the voters of Grayndler want more attention they need to understand the game. The big dollars follow the small margins. A vote for me and the Democrats will help Grayndler in the future as it will cause the major parties to devote more time to the issues of the inner-west.

THE GOOD OIL ON PETROL PRICES

Above – “King Street Service Station, Newtown, Sydney” -  Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial Generic

We’re lucky in Grayndler to have a wealth of public transport options. Trains, buses and trams all service the electorate. Of course, the reality is that many people still require the use of the motor car to get around. With this in mind, petrol prices have become a real talking point around the place. The price of oil has shot up threefold in thre past three years. From my bedroom window I can see that Shell in Stanmore is selling petrol at 128.9 cents per litre.

Petrol prices have been a real concern for those worried about the cost of living. Unfortunately, the solutions offered by many other parties are anything but solutions. I mentioned yesterday how Family First want to cut the petrol tax. Labor is also keen on that idea.  Unfortunately, these ideas are short sighted and ignore the trends we face today.

Taxes on petrol will never be completely eradicated. Governments love the idea of taxing petrol because it provides them with a guaranteed revenue stream. Even small tax cuts like those suggested by Labor and Family First are mere tokenism. The price of petrol is rising quicker than the tax cuts being offered by some political parties. In the end, the price always goes up beyond what it was before the tax cut.

The answer is simply one of reducing demand for petrol. If we use less petrol, we pay less money in the long run. Public transport needs to be supported more than it is now. We should be hearing of more railways and not tollways.

At the same time, I recognise that public transport infrastructure takes a long time to deliver. In other words, we need to address the issue of of efficiency in motor cars. We should be encouraging the purchase of hybrid vehicles and other low fuel motor vehicle options.

The Australian Democrats recognise the complexity of the issue. Today Lyn Allison called for a greater focus on fuel efficiency in the car industry. The technology is there to create cars that use a lot less petrol. We need to support it.

Cars will be a around for a long time so we need a solution that accepts this reality at the same time as we plan for the future with more public transport. Change won’t happen overnight but with these steps we can ease pressure on working families AND help the environment. It’s a win-win situation.

FAMILY FIRST, DECEPTION SECOND, TRUTH LAST

The leaders of the Democrats, Greens and Family First appeared on ABC TV’s Insiders programme this morning. Being the Sunday morning that daylight saving started in NSW, I doubt that many people in Stanmore were watching it. I doubt many people from Camperdown to Croydon or Rozelle to Canterbury had it tuned in.  My TV may have been the only one tuned in!

Nevertheless, it was an important insight into the parties that may have the balance of power from July 2008 when the Senators elected at this election are sworn in.

The trio were united in their calls to deny both major parties of absolute control in the Senate but there was little else to agree on. Bob Brown was limiting his answers so as not to draw attention to his party’s lack of policy breadth and depth. Lyn Allison was nervous but she came across as reasoned, experienced and genuinely concerned.

The dunce prize of the day goes to Family First Senator Steven Fielding. He tried so many times to portray his party as one of “balance and common sense,” phrases the Democrats have legitimately adopted this election but ones that should not apply to his group.

Where was Mr Fielding’s balance and common sense when he passed the VSU legislation in return for a a smaller student services grant than the Democrats were holding out for?

Where is the common sense when he said this morning that petrol tax cuts would put downward pressure on interest rates? That doesn’t make sense.

Where’s the balance and common sense in denouncing a Labor preference deal with the Greens because of, “extremist” views and then admitting that you are contemplating a deal with Pauline Hanson?

As is the danger with single issue parties, you end up with people that aren’t across all the issues and they talk rubbish to get elected. Parties like his are best avoided. The people of Grayndler deserve better.

GREENS SLIP ON THIRD PARTY INSURANCE

Above – “We’ve Been a Little Busy“

We’ve seen it coming for a long time. The Greens have positioned themselves as the party to hold governments to account – using the term, “third party insurance,” that the Democrats have used in elections past. Essentially The Greens want to take over playing the role the Democrats have played with success for the past thirty years. Talking to some Greens, you’d think they were already doing it. I’m used to Greens  people telling me the Democrats are dead.

If the Greens are going to make a big claim like that, it needs to stand up to scrutiny. Under the microscope, the GREENS SLIP ON THIRD PARTY INSURANCE.

The video above compares the minor parties since 2005. In that period, both the Greens and the Democrats have had 4 Senators in Parliament. 

With the same number of elected representatives compare the difference in work ethic.

The Democrats have moved almost triple the number of amendments that the Greens have moved. (676-233)

The Democrats have debated more than double the number of legislation the Greens have debated. (183-86)

The Democrats have introduced two-and-a-half times the number of Bills. (23-9)

The Democrats hold permanent membership on ten-and-a-half times the number of committees. (21-2)

The Democrats have produced more than double the number of dissenting reports. (57-25)

On the back of all this, we hear reports that the Greens and Labor will swap preferences. The Greens complain a lot about Labor to get them votes then they redirect those votes back to Labor. It doesn’t make sense.

The Greens may get the media but their image is hollow. They are not the hard working party they make out to be. The evidence is clear. The past and the present show that the best way to hold Governments to account is to vote Democrat.

STATE OF SCANDAL: A WINDOW TO THE FUTURE?

The headline screamed out at me in today’s Daily Telegraph. John Howard’s secret weapon is none other than Morris Iemma.

Warning that if voters think Labor will provide any real alternative, we need only look at the performance of NSW Labor to show how gloomy that alternative may prove.

These are disappointing tactics on two fronts. The Coalition has clearly run out of ideas so it is attacking the other side. At the same time, it highlights how redundant the myth is that Labor are better on “soft issues” like health and education – something I raised earlier. The state of our schools and hospitals suggest otherwise.

 Both parties have become drunk on power when power has been afforded to them. It is crucial that a third party curb their excesses and keep them in line. The Democrats have the best record of doing so. We are not a single-issue party and we are not on the extreme side of politics. We are able to produce better outcomes working with whoever comes to power.

POOR RESPONSE TO THE POOR

Above – “How rich is a city when its people sleep on a street?” Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

Reports yesterday suggest that as many as 1 in 9 Australians are living in poverty. Poverty is defined as living on less than $281 per week for a single adult without children and adjusted figures for other household units. I don’t know how people survive on $40 per day with shelter, clothing, food and health to consider let alone other expenses.

The proportion of people living in poverty has been rising since 1994 despite Australia experiencing economic growth over all those years. It seems the person in the above shot is not alone by any stretch.

Poverty doesn’t get spoken about as much as it should. Maybe people don’t think it is an Australian problem. Maybe people think people that managed to become poor in these prosperous times somehow deserve it. The major parties do not seem to talk about it. It is a far cry from the days when Prime Ministers would promise to eliminate poverty in three years. As unrealistic a promise as it was, at least poverty was on the agenda.

Of course when there is a vote in it, you can be sure that someone will say something. Well almost. John Howard announced a $4 billion boost to pensions but that has nothing to do with poverty. You see, not everyone reaps the benefit and some of the most disadvantaged people miss out. Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett points out that single parents and the long term unemployed miss out.

Don’t get me wrong. What was promised will go to many deserving people such as people of the disability support pension and the carer’s pension. It’s just when John Howard talks about the benefit of a massive budget surplus and helping people with cost of living pressures you’d think he’d do a little bit more to reach all the people that have been left behind and not just certain sections. You’d think people at the big end of town would cope with a deferred tax cut for a couple of years. Will Kevin Rudd be any better? I doubt it. He set himself down the same path by adopting 91.5% of the Liberal’s tax plan.

Spending time with St Vincent De Paul in Dulwich Hill, I realised how much poverty there was in Grayndler. If it can be so in such a relatively affluent part of the country, it’s clearly a problem more widespread than most people would realise.

The Democrats have a number of practical solutions for combating poverty. These include introducing a national public dental program, boosting Medicare, creating a genuine safety net for workers with at least 8 minimum standards employers must meet, no fee bank accounts for low income earners, increased incentive for affordable housing, increased investment in public housing, raising the tax free threshold to $20,000 so some 2 million low income earners pay no tax, indexing tax rates to the CPI so low income earners do not pay more tax on the same real income, changing welfare guidelines so that people are not punished when they move from welfare to work and they have an incentive to work and pegging student allowances to the Henderson Poverty Line. It may not mean a big bloc of people living in poverty will vote Democrats but that’s not why we do it. We do it because it is the right thing to do.

I hope we get poverty back on the agenda. It is an important issue for me and other Democrats including Laura Chipp whose concern for poverty has seen her take overseas trips to needy communities with volunteer organisations. In such great economic times, it’s important to remember those that have not shared the benefits. Many say that societies can be judged by how we treat our most vulnerable. It’s time we addressed this issue.

YOUTUBE IS OURTUBE

Above – “Bring Back Balance – Vote 1 Australian Democrats“

On the day Youtube launches its Australian website, I thought it would be appropriate to show you the Australian Democrats Youtube page.

In many ways, the internet is a great equaliser, breaking down barriers of cost and personal bias to present everyone’s point of view. Sure, not everyone gets their news from the internet and so it is not yet equal but the great thing about the web is that one can access a lot more information than they would get in a newspaper. This means different information too.

So check us out and find out a little more about the Democrats. You may just happen to like us.

PRESS RELEASE – HOUSING

Here is a press release I sent out to local papers today. It is about affordable housing and touches on a blog post I wrote last week.

DEMOCRATS DEMAND BETTER HOUSING PLAN FOR GRAYNDLER

Jeffrey Gabriel, the Australian Democrats Candidate for Grayndler has called for a greater consideration of local issues when it comes to housing affordability strategies.

“The announcement from both parties about releasing Commonwealth land on the fringes of the cities will do little to address the problems that we’re experiencing in the inner-west.”

The Stanmore resident has called for a more comprehensive approach to housing affordability, recognising the forces that put pressure on inner-city house prices.

“Releasing land in and of itself it not enough. Unless services and infrastructure are provided to the suburbs and the regions, the demand for inner city housing will continue to skyrocket and so will prices. What happens outside of Grayndler goes a long way towards determining house price stability inside Grayndler.”

Gabriel has suggested an immediate boost to public housing stock and other affordable housing as a part of the solution.

“The Australian Democrats argued against the recent trends to pull money out of public housing and other affordable housing strategies. These models still have a role to play in the overall solution even if they are politically unfashionable.”

Another issue Gabriel is concerned about is rent assistance.

“There are a lot of people renting in Grayndler. We need to reform the rent assistance system so that landlords make sure they pass on the benefits to their tenants.”

For more about Jeffrey Gabriel’s ideas for Grayndler, visit http://jeffreygabriel.wordpress.com/

ENDS

NUKED INTO SUBMISSION

Above – “Nuclear Power“, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

In a rare departure from weaseling last night, Kevin Rudd asked John Howard where his plans for 25 nuclear power plants across Australia had disappeared to during the election campaign.  Howard was silent and today his Environment Minister says they may not come to fruition but the ALP should not get comfortable on that high horse they’ve claimed.

At their recent National Conference, the ALP changed its policy to allow for the expansion of Australia’s nuclear industry.The ALP will support the opening of more uranium mines in Australia which means that globally, the nuclear industry will expand. There is a bit of NIMBY about this all. The nuclear industry somewhere else is as bad for the environment as the nuclear industry would be in Australia. The ALP may be minimising the risk in Australia, but they are facilitating dangerous prospects somewhere else around the world.

One prominent member of the ALP led the campaign against this change of policy. He happens to be the Member for Grayndler. Mr Albanese may still tell you he doesn’t like nuclear power but he belongs to a party that supports the expansion of the nuclear indistry in Australia and he will probably have to vote for it in Government because the ALP will tell him to.  A vote for Anthony Albanese – whatever he tells you – is also a vote for an expanding nuclear industry in Australia.

For thew record, the Democrats are opposed to the nuclear industry in Australia. It is a security risk, it is environmentally unsound and there are better alternatives.  You can be sure that a vote for me WILL mean a vote against the nuclear industry. And better still, nobody at Democrats HQ can tell me how to vote if I was a politician. We’re all allowed the power of conscience to guide us.