Well, there was a retiring State member, Blacktown City Councillors and there were lots of community members that had turned up with such great interest. Also even candidates brought their followers to the State Election Forum 'To Meet Mount Druitt candidate' for the NSW State Election, conducted by the Mount Druitt Standard, chaired by Editor, Kelly Robinson. |
| Left to right: Kelly Robinson (Speaker), Brent Robertson, Joshua Green, Olivia Lloyd and Councillor Edmond Atalla |
Four years ago, ( which was my first time), I attended ' To Meet Mount Druitt candidates' and candidates outnumbered the community members. Thank God tonight, community members outnumbered candidates!
For any candidate to win the seat of Mount Druitt, the Labor Party would have to lose 6% of the vote. So currently, Mount Druitt was a very safe Labor seat and is mildly safe seat today, but this all depends on how all the constituents place their votes, including preferences. This crucial in voting for candidates to be elected,
Click here on where Mount Druitt State seat sits in the NSW election Pendulum
All Candidates were giving an opportunity to introduce themselves providing their ideologies and political party's plan for the seat of Mount Druitt, if elected.
Click here for details of Mount Druitt candidates
INTRODUCTION OF CANDIDATES
Joshua Green - Christian Democratic Party
Mount Druitt has been neglected - had visit a park in Mount Druitt and there was only one equipment for 40-50 children to play for recreation. He emphasized that he wants the area not to be neglected especially by the major parties. In NSW Parliament when either of the major parties want to chair inquiries, they choose the CDP as they are responsibly to have a high standard with integrity. He also wants to see positive changes, people to believe in him, a voice to count and voting to 'stop the neglect'!
Councillor Edmond Atalla - Labor Party
Wants to get the community to vote for him as being a local living in the Mount Seat for 45 years, is a qualified engineer and 27 years in politics. He believes infrastructure eases people lives. Edmond understands hardship when working as a junior engineer at a Western Sydney Council where an elderly gentleman asked for Council's assistance when he lost his dentures in a Council drain and he couldn't afford to buy another one. Edmond stated, 'He is always placing people first' and that made him enter Blacktown City Council as a Councillor since 2004.
He commented on Local Liberal Government closing the Mount Druitt Pool, Child Care Centres and Pensioner rates abolished. He is now putting himself forward to help others, restore services that was cut in Mount Druitt, asks what has Liberal done in the last 4 years in Mount Druitt, is an advocate for lifts at Rooty Hill, has met with Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc and will be supporting local transport issues presented to him.
Brent Robertson - The Greens Party
Lived in North Ryde in Housing Commission and has experienced poverty. Brent has lived in Mount Druitt for 33 years, 2 years in Blackett and 31 years in Shalvey. Joined Labor Party in 1996 and during the Hawke/Keating period the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was privatised and hard guttered Work Cover was being destroyed he publicly tore up his Labor Party membership and was in the local papers. He has been a strong advocate for the Cardiac Unit for Mount Druitt Hospital, skate park at Rooty Hill with the support from former Councillor Danny Macklin, supported the movement of Halinda School to the old Whalan High School site, lobbied for a community centre - now called 'The hub!' Brent wants no more cuts to NSW TAFE and gets on with all people, classes and religion.
Olivia Lloyd - Liberal Party
Wants to represent the people of Mount Druitt as the was born (in Cessnock), the same the same year that Mount Druitt electorate started. Her father was a correctional services officer living in housing commission in Kempsey, through this she understands about hardship. Olivia currently works full time in a small family business, studying Bachelor of Economics. She has strong values, believes in essential services to be provided to the community through proper new infrastructure. Announcement of new Police Station to be constructed on a new site in Mount Druitt catering for 180 Offices and 310 new Police officers and mobile phone finger printing devices to enable more police to be in the streets. She is not out there to win votes but to deliver what is needed by the community. She has the passion to work with the Baird/Liberal Team, is a hard working single mother of three children. 'No one is more Mount Druitt than me!'
Then came question time which raised subjects of the following issues
- Would candidates consider more Express Trains required on Rooty Hill, Mount Druitt train station
- Would candidate accept to for schools to have anti-bulling councillors?
- Mount Druitt Learning Ground seeking funds from State Government
- TAFE educational cuts
- What can candidates do for community to enjoy a cooler climate?
- What can candidates do to rid graffitti
- Closed Cardiac Ward - to Olivia Lloyd
- Name 1 item in Mount Druitt the candidate will push for?
- Survivors of the Lindt Cafe incident - Fred Nile CDP called them 'cowards' does Joshua agree?
- Seeking support for Archibold Road bridge access to M4 and double storey commuter car park at Mount Druitt bus interchange
- Seeking support for bus services to cover early morning, late nights to make people reach Sunday Funday events and also Mount Train station concourse upgrade coping with commuter increase
- With announcement of new Police Officers in the area: will they be beat police and come to schools to educate children of community safety and policing?
Understands that more city express trains is essential for people and families and the CDP is happy to support express trains at Rooty Hill/Mount Druitt.
In relation to lifts required at Rooty Hill it has a negative affect on families and is an obvious concerned effort to get those facilities seen for the people. CDP will provide scrutiny for train services.
Bullying is not OK, wants to get messages out there to schools, teachers and kids that it is not OK to Bully. He supports any measures for anti-bullying.
Mount Druitt Learning Ground, if elected CDP will be committed to investigate if it can fight for policies which are very critical. If it works it will be great - he will support it!
With educational cuts, if the economy is not in good shape - it is not good for all areas. Governments need to seek how is education funded and in a good economic climate there would be support to fund more education. Current government is trying to save on the shortfall left from previous government. We need to create a stronger economy, this will bring economical support - in a good economical climate.
The climate change to a cooler Mount Druitt is with individual at homes using coolers, understands that this relates to costs and the CDP would look into areas economically for a cooler Mount Druitt.
With Graffiti this is an ongoing issue to curb graffiti and engage youth do their artwork in designated areas, legally. This mucks up peoples and community's properties.
No hospitals should lose departments. Investigate in further details, listening to the argument get thoughts to get result concerning Mount Druitt missing out.
Anything that affects the family especially the unemployed is the main issue he would be fighting for to get them financially secure themselves - we need to rebuild the economy.
Councillor Edmond Atalla Labor Party
Labor quadrupled railway lines along the western Line from Blacktown to Mount Druitt years ago. More carriages from Harris Park to Mount Druitt Labor advocate for more and improvements for City Rail. Liberals have a 'Yoyo' services. Railways needs to place public transport as matter of priority.
Has been an advocate for Rooty Hill lifts upgrade for years. Every train station was done by the Labor party Rooty Hill and Doonside and was scrapped by the Liberals.This is an issue he is taking on the forefront of his agenda for results for the community.
Bullying can cost lives - victims take their own lives.He supports anti bullying Councillors at all schools.
Mount Druitt learning center. It is a quality program - NSWLiberals cut $1.7M.Off the nsw education elelection budget. Can commit to looking why programs are not funded has strong views of these programs to be in Mo
unt Druitt.
Smart and Skilled program be uplift - Liberals cut $1.7M & 1000 TAFE teachers from the State Education budget and Tony Abbott has taken away $10B. Scrap the Smart and Skilled program as children are dropping courses out of these programs
Click here for NSW Smart and Skilled program
Making Mount Druitt cooler - don't shut down Mount Druitt Pool. Not every household can afford air-conditioning, Blacktown City Council has spent improvements in Emerton Swimming Pool, find somewhere to cool down.
Impacts of graffiti Blacktown City Council spends over $1M to clean and remove - it is not just a Local Government Area issue it is also a State Government issue on State Housing - Liberals have cut $100M out of the NSW Housing budget. Need to get routine meeting with all relevant agencies and remove it.
Liberals will keep closing hospital services like the cardiac unit. Liberals should stand up for the own government and should be expanding services and have a stand alone hospital in our Mount Druitt community. The Liberals didn't want a Methadone clinic in St Marys and dumped it in Mount Druitt.
Abolish Smart and Skills program and then every child will be educated will be the one issue Edmond will push for this issue for community and no privatization of electricity.
Liberals have taken Billions out of the Education budget 'not smart' they are hoping people are being educated not knowing of the selling of electricity.
He has met Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc, through the Mayor of Blacktown City Council try to meet with NSW Minister of Transport but it appears may not want to meet with Labor Party members. Has received information from Lester and is taking on these public transport issues.
Claims the NSW Liberals have frozen numbers of police for years, a constituent had completed his policing course at Charles Stuart University and was told there is a 3 year waiting period before enlisting into the Police force. The news of the new police station: no details and how is it funded?
Brent Roberson - Greens Party
The other 2 speakers covered everything. Greens believe to use more public transport, bus and trains provides less pollution.
He will do everything he can to get the lights at Rooty Hill - he will be working with a disability support group to raise awareness of these more and more. He is worried about Liberals trying to privatize Railways and pay for the lifts one day at $2 to go up and down.
Raise a personal experience he had. Bullying leads to mental condition services to be used Counselings at Bidwill on trial. Greens are right behind it.
Mount Druitt Learning Ground - some children get through the cracks and this service needs all the funding. Greens are for the disadvantaged, hence right there with it!
Forget the rot with Liberals, the educational cuts happened previously under Labor - deterioration of TAFE system and destroyed education. All these services need to come back to Mount Druitt including aged services.
Getting rid of global warming is not to get rid of rebates to householders when they should be installing more Solar Panels. Not to have State Parks used up by Liberals for housing and development as small blocks of units. Greens carbon tax watered done by Rudd/Gillard- left alone that would have worked.
Graffiti is a psychological issue and if provided with designated places and a lot of it ins nice art and also rubbish and tagged. Communities need to look at ways of fixing it.
ER & Cardiac units ripped out of Mount Druitt and should be brought back!
Housing affordability is the one issue that he will pursue for the electorate if elected. NSW housing should not be selling houses, fix them and build more!
Greens are champions for 'fair go for all' health, education compared to Liberal/labor barstardisation.
John Svoboda I known him for many years knows what he is doing with bus and trains and I support all ideas for improvements in bus time tables and upgrade of Mount Druitt concourse.
That it is disgusting to say that the Methadone clinic was 'dumped' in Mount Druitt - it is needed in this area and by say that was uncaring. It is welcomed by all client to have one in Mount Druitt. Would like more policing of the Westfield Shops there has been made threats to all Westfields in Australia, before and this is very worrying to the whole community.
Olivia Lloyd - Liberal Party
Under Baird Liberal Team, the introduction and implementation troduction of Opal Card with over 2,000,000 commuters using it. It is affordable and convenient. Have commenced the North West Link to open up the North West corridor. If elected will fight and push for improvements in public transport in the area.
Former Labor Party Leader John Robertson, in a recent letter excluded Doonside and Rooty Hill for upgrades of lifts, as claims Mount Druitt and Blacktown have lifts. If elected, she will lobby for this as Rooty Hill is her nearest train station and knows it is needed.
With the matter of bullying yes everyone agrees this should not be tolerated at schools or anywhere. She would be looking at further ways of preventing it.
Has been meeting with community groups like Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc and attended midnight Basket Ball. She was not aware of Mount Druitt Learning Ground, would like an invitation to visit this organisation and willing to learn herself how they assist students in need.
New TAFE one off fees. The NSW Baird/Liberal Team is alloccating extra $48M to 200,000 special needs/disability students, this is on top of original funding and which will assist them with on the job training.
In relation to environmental issues with temperatures within Mount Druitt will request a government enquiryo discover cost-effective ways of climate improvement without effecting the cost of living and suggests further use of public transport for the community.
Graffiti is getting people to show their creativity. With the announcement of 310 police officers in Mount Druitt, more beat police with mobile phone electronic finger printing scanners, encourage businesses to take ownership themselves and encourage graffiti artists to beautify the area.
With the Cardiac ward in Mount Druitt in was ineffective was not servicing people that needed cardiac services - with a special Cardiac unit at Blacktown Hospital and $400m upgrade at Westmead Hospital which will be properly used for cardiac patients at Blacktown at Blacktown Hospital. Sometimes people need to travel further to get better cardiac services. Mount Druitt has the best palliative care - sometimes combining services also provides better services.
The one thing Olivia would push for in Mount Druitt is infrastructure. Need improvements with roads, education lifts at Rooty Hill and public transport issues that need to be addressed. Jobs for all people after their are educational improvements.
Olivia has been regular at the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc. meeting for the last 2 months. NSW Minister of Transport had not received the public transport issues and Free Shuttle bus petition until the other day. Is advocating for Peter Kerr's interchange at Archibold Road to joint the M4 to alleviate congestion from Ropers road interchange, on/off ramp.
The Mount Druitt Police Station good news,release police into the community. Olivia supports services. Policies that instill goodness in kids and actually supports you youth is where test boundaries would then not be as many problems. They have all have needs and values and invest with them into better real values.
SUMMING UP
Joshua Green - Christian Democratic Party
Impressed with Christian Democratic Party is hoping to get number 2 votes. 2 major parties will be there - governments must be accountable on impact on families. Give number 1 Vote Vote, worthy of responsibility, consider 1 vote for power for the Christian Democratic Party.
Councillor Edmond Atalla - Labor Party
He understands the needs of the community, 2 daughters, soon to be young grandfather. Liberal slogan, 'Our infrastructure' but every NSW Labor Government has delivered infrastructure. He will pursue key priorities, expand services at Mount Druitt Hospital, pursue with local road and transport improvements, advocate for Rooty Hill lifts. Select 'Labor' rather than 'Liberal' based on the sale of the state owned electricity/power. Foley/Labor team will invest $10B in infrastructure without selling state owned electricity/power. Mount Druitt is a great City and he is a strong voice in representing us, proven track record as a Blacktown City Councillor.
Brent Robertson - Greens Party
The Greens Carbon tax would have worked better not being watered down. There is area lot of overseas foreign-owned mining companies not paying proper taxes and have exemptions. Don't trust Labor or Liberal parties calls them 'Laberal' party or privitisaion, Emergency services cuts to Mount Druitt Hospital - wants that to be reversed, promotion of Mental Health Unit at Mount Druitt, wants first class TAFE education, believes in voluntary euthanasia laws to be introduced, peace and non-violence and Nuclear disarmament.
Olivia Llloyd - Liberal Party
Baird/Liberal Government has delivered on the state economy as being the number 1 economical State/Territory in Australia, signed the Gonski educational Reform, signed up on the National Disability Insurance scheme, within the state of NSW opened up 18 new schools and upgraded 44 schools, will be pushing for a better public transport, lifts at Rooty Hill, especially returning bus services that were removed and flashing lights at all school for children's health and safety She has been knocking on doors and if elected will be standing up for the community.
The community audience was reasonably peaceful and well behaved. Thanks all goes to the Mount Druitt Standard to organise this wonderful community event, to Editor Kelly Robinson, journalists Alice and Daniella. I think this could also be done for the oncoming Local Council elections for 2016 as well.
I tried to report this blog as any biased comments/thoughts from myself to any candidate, so I am quite happy to hear feed back from them or any other community members that turned up or even community members that didn't turn up and would like to add comments, please do so.
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