Meet your Corangamite candidates

FOLLOWING on from the editions published today (Thursday, May 12), here are the full responses from the nine Corangamite candidates to the questions sent out by the Times News Group earlier this month.

All candidates were asked the same nine questions:

• Name:
• Resides:
• Occupation:
• How long have you lived in Corangamite?
• What’s your involvement with the community?
• What’s your political allegiance?
• Who are you preferencing?
• What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support – if so, from who?
• For you, what are the most important issues in Corangamite?

Candidates were asked to keep their complete response to between 250-300 words, and their full, unedited answers are listed below in ballot paper order.

 

Stephen Juhasz – Australian Federation Party

Candidate had not responded to questions by deadline

 

Alex Marshall – Greens

Candidate had not responded to questions by deadline

 

Libby Coker – Labor

Name:
Libby Coker MP

Resides:
Aireys Inlet

Occupation:
Member of Parliament for Corangamite. Formerly a school teacher and journalist.

How long have you lived in Corangamite?
I’ve lived in the region for about 30 years.

What’s your involvement with the community?
I’ve been involved with a range of community and sporting groups, including as a parent, a member of parliament and a former Surf Coast Shire mayor and councillor.

What’s your political allegiance?
I’m proudly a member of the Australian Labor Party.

Who are you preferencing?
1. Australian Labor Party
2. Australian Greens
3. Animal Justice Party
4. Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party
5. Liberal Democratic Party
6. Liberal Party of Australia
7. Australian Federation Party
8. United Australia Party
9. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support – if so, from who?
Campaigning is a necessary part of the election process, and campaign funding will be fully declared at the required time in accordance with requirements under the Electoral Act.

For you, what are the most important issues in Corangamite?
It may look like a prosperous region, but there are a lot of people doing it very hard. Those people need support with childcare. They need support with the cost of living. I’m telling people across my electorate about Labor’s plan for a Better Future, bringing fresh eyes and a new approach to issues they care about.

Cost of Living
The cost of everything is growing. With households paying more for food, petrol, rent, childcare and power, families are really feeling the squeeze. Because everything is going up except their wages.

That’s why Labor has a plan to create more secure well-paid jobs, reduce the cost of childcare, drive down power bills and ease the pressure on family budgets.

Housing
While the cost of everything is going up, the dream of owning a home is getting further and further out of reach for people in Corangamite. It’s impossible to save a deposit while your bills are going up and your wages aren’t keeping up.

Labor will make it easier for people to own their own home by cutting how much they need for a deposit and partnering with homebuyers to reduce the cost of buying a home.

Climate Change
People in Corangamite care about climate change. They are concerned about what kind of environment their children will inherit. They are puzzled by the Morrison Government’s reluctance to embrace renewable energy. Labor will take strong action on climate change and end the climate wars that have held us back for too long.

Health
Under the Morrison Government, our health system has been neglected. Aged Care is in crisis, health care is unaffordable and inaccessible and NDIS participants are being left behind. Labor will always fight to protect Medicare and ensure a robust health system for everyone.

Integrity
We need to rebuild integrity and trust in politics. That means having a national anti-corruption watchdog, with teeth, that can crack down on Government rorts.

 

Meg Watkins – Animal Justice Party

Name: Meg Watkins

Resides: Jan Juc (Wadawurrung Country)

Occupation:
Currently volunteering full-time for the Animal Justice Party and focussing on my election campaign!

How long have you lived in Corangamite?
My entire life. I’ve grown up between Geelong and Torquay, and more recently have been able to enjoy the quiet coastal lifestyle of Jan Juc.

What’s your involvement with the community?
I’m an active member of the community and am proud to have been involved with various volunteer organisations throughout Geelong and the Surf Coast over the years.

What’s your political allegiance?
I’m proudly standing as a candidate with the Animal Justice Party – our motto is animals, people, planet.

Who are you preferencing?
While I do not endorse any other political parties, because I believe them all to have significant shortcomings when it comes to the protection of animals and our environment, we cannot afford another Morrison Government. Labor has promised a range of reforms and funding for animal and environmental protection, so they are placed second on my How-to-Vote card, followed by the Greens. However, these are of course guides only and the most important thing is to vote #1 Animal Justice Party.

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support – if so, from who?
The AJP relies largely on donations, which have fuelled my campaign. The total budget sits at around a few thousand dollars for my entire campaign and marketing materials.

For you, what are the most important issues in Corangamite?
In a nutshell: climate action to protect our natural environment, housing affordability, protection for our pets, support for vulnerable communities such as domestic violence survivors and people with disabilities, wildlife decimation and species extinction, and stronger animal protection laws.

 

Stephanie Asher – Liberals

Name: Stephanie Asher

Resides: Ocean Grove

Occupation: Former Mayor of City of Greater Geelong, Management Consultant, Author

How long have you lived in Corangamite? 22 years

What’s your involvement with the community? During my time as a local resident, I have been actively involved in several community organisations, including on the Ocean Grove Community Association Committee and as a director of the Committee for Geelong, Bethany Community Sport, Geelong Library Corporation, Kids Plus Foundation and as Vice-President of the Ocean Grove Surf Lifesaving Club.

What’s your political allegiance? Liberal Party of Australia.

Who are you preferencing? Voters determine their preferences, not political parties.

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support – if so, from who? All matters relating to my campaign finance are being disclosed as per Australian Electoral Commission requirements. I am not receiving any personal funding and have taken unpaid leave from my council role.

For you, what are the most important issues in Corangamite?

Managing the regional growth in a sustainable way, including supporting businesses and local jobs to keep our regional economy strong. Catching up on the infrastructure lag created by the pace of residential growth. And, a personal passion of mine, ensuring people have access to physical and mental health infrastructure to properly enjoy the amazing lifestyle we have here.

Corangamite cannot afford another three years with a local member who fails to deliver and needs a strong local voice with a proven track record of delivery.

As a former Mayor of the City of Geelong, I led our local response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud of the achievements of our community during this time which has seen Geelong, the Bellarine, Surf Coast and surrounds well positioned to move forward to a better future.

Now is the time to build on this success. My strong Local Plan for Corangamite will build stronger communities by keeping the economy strong and delivering local jobs, investing in physical and mental health, supporting services for aged care and retirees, managing regional growth, protecting our local environment and better mobile and internet connectivity.

Our area has so much potential but needs a strong advocate who will deliver the infrastructure and investments needed to further improve local liveability.

 

Paul Barker – Liberal Democrats

Name: Paul Barker

Resides: Torquay

Occupation: Truck Driver/Skydive Instructor

How long have you lived in Corangamite? 5 years

What’s your involvement with the community? The Man Walk, Friends of Taylor Park, played basketball, former trivia host

What’s your political allegiance? Libertarian. I trust individuals to make better decisions for their life over government. The party that represents these values is the Liberal Democrats

Who are you preferencing? UAP, but preferences won’t matter if everyone who wants less government in their lives votes for the Liberal Democrats.

What’s your campaign budget? Are you receiving financial support – if so, from who? $20,000. Donations have come from a large number of people.

For you, what are the most important issues in Corangamite? I think the House of Representatives no longer represents us. Cost of living, freedom of choice and schooling are just some of the issues that I don’t think are being adequately addressed. We seek to improve these areas by implementing the policies contained in our Freedom Manifesto. Government taxes and regulations reduce what we have in our pockets to spend and raise the costs of all goods and services. By reducing taxes we can keep more of the money we earn and reducing regulations can keep prices at bay. We have seen how government control over our choices results in poor outcomes. The Liberal Democrats have principles that haven’t changed in over 20 years, one key principle is freedom of choice. If you want a representative that values a representative liberal democracy, more freedom and lower taxes then vote for me.

 

Luke Sorensen – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

Candidate had not responded to questions by deadline

 

Daniel William Abou-zeid – United Australia Party

Candidate had not responded to questions by deadline

 

Jean-Marie D’Argent – Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party

Candidate had not responded to questions by deadline