ONE LAST PITCH! Local Candidates Give Their Final Pitch Ahead Of Election Day This Saturday

1: This is your final elevator pitch - in 80 words - what makes you the best candidate for the job?
 
2: If successful, what is the one key project/legacy achievement that you will be remembered for?
 
3: What role do you think local newspapers play in regional communities?
 
4: What would you say to someone who has never voted for your party before but is thinking about it?
 

Julie Hall
One Nation Candidate For Whitsunday

1:

I stand for the people, with common sense, people focused, policy. I don’t represent the party, nor do I have to tow the party line, like LNP and Labor do. The cross bench can bring the balance of power back to the people where it belongs and hold both major parties to account. The choice is simple, do you want a hands-on MP to represent you, or a career politician that represents their party first.

2:
 
Changing legislation that is crippling businesses, taking away our freedoms, and forcing woke ideology into our workplaces and schools. I will support the Katter Party’s Termination of Pregnancy (Life Births) Amendment bill to ensure babies born alive after a failed abortion will receive pain relief and care. I will also seek to change the legislation that allows perfectly healthy babies to be terminated right up to the day before birth. Both LNP and Labor have stated they will not support these changes, I WILL!

3:
 
Local papers are the heart of the community. They keep the community informed and connected and we most certainly do not want to lose them. Whitsunday Life is a great asset to our community. When it comes to elections all news media should be seen to be A-Political, however, you will see across all media platforms it is the Labor and LNP candidates that are always featured, you seldom see the minor parties getting the same coverage, which is not only biased, but unfair.
 
 
4:
 
If you don’t like where things are going, and you’re as concerned as I am about the future for our kids, then you need to vote differently. Under the major parties whether it was LNP or Labor Federally, or Labor in State, our lives have got a lot harder. We should be the luckiest country in the world with the resources that we have, yet we have gone backwards under these major parties. Give us a go, seriously, how much more can we afford to lose?

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Dale Last
LNP Candidate For Burdekin

1:

No matter whether you live in Middlemount, Giru or anywhere in between, for the past ten years I have listened and taken up the fight for issues that matter to constituents and my hope is to continue to do that in the future. In regional areas we have to fight tooth and nail to secure our fair share and that means having a strong voice to advocate for safer roads, better access to health services and more opportunities for our next generation.
 
2:

Knowing that I have been a strong voice for the Burdekin on issues that matter most will be an honour I will carry with me for years to come. Seeing our netball players competing on new courts, knowing that patients with time-critical health issues are going to get the CT they need at the Ayr Hospital and seeing our firefighters able to train at their own station will be achievements I know this community will be able to be proud of.

3:

The importance of regional newspapers has been emphasised in recent years, particularly in areas of rural and regional Queensland that don’t have reliable access to internet or telecommunications. There is no other place to find out what is happening in the community, to read about the achievements of our best and brightest or to find out who won our local sporting matches. As the State Member, local newspapers are imperative in sharing information about community safety or new legislation.
 
4:

Every Queenslander placing their vote over the past couple of weeks and on Saturday will know exactly what is impacting them the most right now, whether it’s costs of living, crime, housing or accessing health services. These issues are not new and The LNP has outlined a plan and commitments to improve our health services, increase housing, address youth crime and ease cost of living. 

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Anne Baker
Labor Candidate For Burdekin

1:

After 17 years successfully putting my heart and soul into representing the Isaac region in local government, the last 12 of those as Mayor of Isaac bringing in over $400M of funding to the region, I understand how the system works and I feel like I can do better for Burdekin. I am ready to stand up for local working families, businesses, agriculture, mining, construction and regional communities. The Burdekin electorate needs a voice that will be heard by State Government.   
 
 
2:
 
I will be remembered for securing $157M in fully committed roads funding as just a candidate, the most funding for roads seen in the last eight years of current representation. I can do so much more if elected, this is just the start.

3:
 
Papers are integral to regional communities and play multiple roles . Newspapers are the glue that connect a community, from news, to birth and engagement notices, real estate, classifieds, social events, sports and more.    
 
4:
 
I would say, please consider voting for me as the person, Anne Baker, as I am the one that will represent you. I have a proven track record and I will work hard for the electorate. 

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Andrew Elborne
One Nation Candidate For Burdekin

1:

There is no better school in the world than travel and life experience, so if you want real solutions to the issues of today you need a new set of eyes and minds on the job and not career politicians that have not been able to fix the issue in the last 10 years without more rights removing legislation.
 
2:

When we fix the money wasting renewable problem we can then concentrate on using the money to fix the local issues, simplifying and removing unnecessary and obtuse legislation that only serves to chain up and hinder the working families of the community - the community safety bill for instance, and its blatant discrimination against farmers and sporting gun owners.
 
3:

The local newspapers play a huge role in regional communities, just as long as they stay a-political and give every party the same respect and time to give their stance on issues. They should be owned by the communities as well and not oversees interests.

4:
 
I would say honestly I am not doing this as a job, I have stood on the side line praying for the government to do the right thing and represent the people, but have come to the realisation that the big parties are now so entrenched with party politics, meaning following overseas influence, that they have forgotten how they got elected and that is by the people, so it’s time someone who is only interested in people politics steps up.

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Amanda Camm
LNP Candidate For Whitsunday

1:

I have worked extremely hard over the last four years listening to the community and advocating for our region.  It is frustrating representing from opposition. However, I proudly stood up for the women of Mackay & Whitsundays during the Obstetrics & Gynaecology and DNA Lab Queensland Health failures. I have continually called out the Government for poor consultation or stalling on projects like Shute Harbour Road or Hamilton Plains. Sometimes it’s resulted in a win with work commencing.
 

2:

I hope my personal legacy as an MP will be one who listens, advocates and delivers for the community. I have been listening and advocating to a government that has refused to listen for the last four years. My first focus will be on delivering projects for our region that have sat idle under this Labor government. The main ones will be Mackay Bucasia Road in the southern part of the electorate and Hamilton Plains in the North and delivering a Shute Bay Boat Ramp.

3:

Local newspapers are vital to keeping communities connected. People can find State and National news through other mediums, but they’ll never have the same amount of local content as a local paper. I think everyone felt the loss of local papers when many closed during COVID. It plays an important role in connecting our community, informing, celebrating and communicating what matters.
 
4:

I would ask if they are better off now than they were 10 years ago under this Labor Government? The reality is, that currently in Queensland only the LNP or Labor can win enough seats to form government. Whilst the Labor Government has spent the last 10 not delivering projects on time or on budget and with no consultation or transparency, the LNP has a plan to fix housing, crime, the health system and cost of living issues.

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